Stop Blending Your Keywords: 7 Categories Every Digital Marketer Should Track Separately

 Informational, competitor, and long-tail keywords aren’t interchangeable, and tracking them as one can inadvertently sabotage your strategy. Learn the 7 keyword types that demand separate tracking and the rationale for doing so.

For experienced digital marketers, the difference between average and exceptional campaign performance often comes down to how you analyze your results—especially your keywords.

Too often, campaigns lump fundamentally different keyword types into one report and one blended result. This inadvertently leads to distorted averages, misguided optimizations, and wasted spend.

In reality, keyword intent, cost, and value can vary dramatically. That’s why tracking specific keyword categories or segments separately isn’t just best practice—it’s essential.

Here are 7 keyword categories or segments you should never mix, and exactly why they demand individual attention.

Branded Keywords

What they are:
 Search terms that include your brand or product names (e.g., “Nike running shoes”, “HubSpot CRM”).

Why track them separately:? Branded queries typically come from users already familiar with your company. They generate high CTRs, high conversion rates, and low CPCs. If you mix them with non-branded terms, they inflate your overall performance metrics and mask inefficiencies elsewhere.

Use branded data to evaluate brand strength—not new user acquisition.

Generic Keywords

What they are:
 Generic, high-funnel search terms (e.g., “best CRM software”, “men’s running shoes”).

Why track them separately? These keywords are your discovery engine. They’re more expensive, less efficient, but critical for audience growth. Tracking them separately keeps your acquisition strategy honest and focused.

Pure Competitor Keywords

What they are:
 Searches focused exclusively on a competing brand (e.g., “Salesforce CRM”, “Adidas Ultraboost”).

Why track them separately: 
These are "conquesting" terms. They're high risk, with lower conversion and higher CPCs. They can work, but they need their own KPIs. Don’t evaluate them on the same terms as your branded or generic keywords.

Comparative Keywords

What they are:
Searches that include you and a competitor (e.g., “HubSpot vs Salesforce”, “Nike vs Adidas”).

Why track them separately? 
These potential customers are in active consideration. Performance is often stronger than with pure competitor terms, and ad copy needs to be built around differentiation, not interruption. Tracking these separately allows you to own the narrative in the decision phase.

Category-Level vs. Product-Specific Keywords

• Category-level: “smartphones”, “email marketing tools”

• Product-specific: “iPhone 15 Pro”, “Mailchimp Standard Plan”

Why track them separately?
 Category terms tend to be broader and earlier/higher in the marketing funnel. Product-specific terms suggest high purchase intent. You should adjust bidding, creative, and landing pages based on this distinction—and start by tracking them separately.

Long-Tail vs. Short-Tail Keywords

• Short-tail: “headphones”

• Long-tail: “best Bluetooth headphones for the gym under $150”

Why track them separately?
 Long-tail queries are often lower volume but higher intent and conversion efficiency. Grouping them with short-tail terms hides their performance and can lead to under investment in some of your most efficient clicks.

Informational vs. Transactional Keywords

• Informational: “how to choose a project management tool”

• Transactional: “buy Asana premium”

Why track them separately? These represent different funnel stages. Informational terms support content marketing and lead nurturing, while transactional terms are your conversion engine. If you combine the two, you lose the insights of where in the funnel these potential customers are and misallocate budget.

Why Segmentation Matters More Than Ever

Most modern marketers don’t have a data shortage—they have a signal clarity problem. Keyword segmentation solves this by aligning each term type to:

• The right goals (e.g., ROAS vs. reach)

• The right attribution model (last-click vs. assist)

• The right creative strategy (awareness vs. urgency)

• The right place in the funnel

Why track these segments separately?

This isn’t about making direct comparisons between segments. It’s about measuring performance with an understanding of context, so you can optimize (and allocate budget to) what matters most.

How to Set It Up

• Label keywords by intent and category in your platform (Google Ads, SA360, etc.)

• Segment campaigns or ad groups by keyword type when appropriate

• Build separate reporting views for each segment in Looker Studio or your BI tool

• Assign tailored KPIs per category (e.g., impressions for competitor, ROAS for branded)

Conclusion

Blending different keyword types in your reporting is like measuring marathon runners and sprinters with the same stopwatch. They’re built for different outcomes, and they need different strategies. Segment your keywords. Respect their role. Optimize accordingly. Your data (and your ROI) will thank you.