Schlüsselwort

Schlüsselwort is a German noun meaning a word that serves as a key to a topic or concept. Etymology: from Schlüssel (key) and Wort (word). In information retrieval, keywords are terms that describe the content of a document and are used for indexing, search, and retrieval. They may appear in titles, abstracts, or metadata and are generated by authors or extracted automatically through keyword extraction techniques. In digital search and bibliographic databases, keywords facilitate discovery by users and by algorithms, enabling efficient indexing and ranking.

In web search and content strategy, keywords (Schlüsselwörter) are selected to match user queries, with strategies including targeting short-tail and long-tail phrases. Best practices emphasize relevance and user intent; overuse is discouraged (the historical notion of keyword stuffing). Keyword density is a historical metric still discussed in some contexts, but modern approaches favor semantic relevance and natural language.

In information architecture and content management, Schlüsselwörter or tags help classify content; Schlagwort is a common synonym; difference is subtle and varies by institution; both are used to improve navigation and retrieval.

In education and linguistics, the term appears in language pedagogy, notably the Schlüsselwort-Methode (keyword method), a mnemonic technique for vocabulary learning where a foreign word is linked to a familiar image to aid recall.