Keywords describe real customer intent
Examples for a trades business might include emergency plumber Swansea, boiler repair Swansea or electrician Cardiff. The useful question is what the searcher actually needs and which page can answer that need well.
How are keywords used?
Keywords can help plan page topics, service pages and location coverage. The wording should then be used naturally where it makes sense in titles, headings, body copy and links rather than repeated mechanically.
What about the meta keywords tag?
Google Search does not use the old meta keywords tag for indexing or ranking. There is no hidden keyword box that needs filling with dozens of phrases.
Keyword stuffing is not SEO
Repeating the same town or service unnaturally can make a page worse for customers and is not a substitute for genuinely useful information. See What are service pages?.
Official Google resource
Google provides current guidance on this topic. Use the official documentation as the authoritative reference if its products or search guidance change.
Last updated: 9 September 2026