What is a Head Term?
A head term is a word or phrase that is the focus of a particular search. When someone enters a query into a search engine, the head term is usually the most specific and relevant keyword or phrase in that query. They are usually one or two words in length.
More About Head Terms
For example, a site owner who owns a women’s clothing store, would likely have a head term of “women’s clothing.” However, they’d also probably want to target subcategories of keywords, such as “women’s fall shoes,” “women’s sundresses,” and “women’s white sneakers.”
Also known as a head keyword, a head term drives search volume. Therefore, it’s an important consideration when it comes to SEO. They are highly competitive and broad in nature, unlike long-tail keywords, which tend to be at least three words and specific.
Given that they’re highly competitive, ranking for head terms can be challenging. One strategy to increase success in this area is to focus on search intent. This refers to the type of queries (informational, commercial, or navigational) users input into search engines.
