How to Find the Right Keywords in a Job Description

A job application can look relevant on the surface and still miss the language that matters for the role. A candidate may have the right experience but describe it using different terms from the ones used by the employer, making the relevant parts harder to spot during screening.

Finding the right keywords in a job description helps solve that problem before the resume is edited. Instead of guessing which skills or phrases to include, candidates can identify the requirements that matter most and use them to decide what experience to highlight. The process is less about copying words and more about understanding what the employer is actually looking for.

What are job description keywords?

Job description keywords are words or phrases that describe the requirements, responsibilities, qualifications, skills, tools, and other characteristics associated with a role.

For example, a job description for a digital marketing position might mention:

• SEO
• Google Analytics
• Keyword research
• Content strategy
• Search Console
• Performance reporting
• Campaign management

These terms can tell a candidate what capabilities are likely to matter during the hiring process.

Keywords aren't limited to technical skills. They can also include:

• Job titles
• Certifications
• Degrees
• Programming languages
• Software
• Methodologies
• Soft skills
• Industry terminology
• Specific responsibilities

The important question is whether the term provides useful information about what the employer is looking for.

Where to look for keywords in a job description

Keywords can appear throughout a job posting, but some sections are particularly useful when analysing one.

Job title

Start with the title because it establishes the basic context of the role.

For example, a posting titled SEO Content Strategist may contain related terms such as SEO strategy, content optimisation, keyword research, organic traffic, and content planning.

The exact title can also matter when tailoring a resume. If the candidate's previous role had a different title but involved similar responsibilities, the job description can reveal the terminology used by the target employer.

Required skills

The skills section is one of the clearest places to find keywords.

Look for both technical and transferable skills, such as:

• Data analysis
• Project management
• JavaScript
• Customer relationship management
• Copywriting
• Communication
• Stakeholder management

Separate skills that are genuinely relevant to the candidate from those that don't match their background.

Responsibilities

Responsibilities can reveal keywords that don't appear in a separate skills section.

For example, a posting may say:

"Manage paid search campaigns, analyse conversion data, conduct keyword research, and prepare monthly performance reports."

The useful terms could include paid search, campaign management, conversion data, keyword research, and performance reporting.

Responsibilities are particularly valuable because they show how an employer expects a skill to be used.

Qualifications and certifications

Check the education and qualification requirements carefully.

These may include:

• Bachelor's degree
• Master's degree
• Professional certifications
• Years of experience
• Industry-specific credentials
• Required licences

If a qualification is genuinely held, it can be useful to make it easy to find on the resume.

Tools and technologies

Software and technology names are often important keywords.

Depending on the role, these could include:

• Salesforce
• HubSpot
• Python
• SQL
• Figma
• Google Analytics
• Microsoft Excel
• Jira

Don't treat every software name as equally important. A tool mentioned once as a preferred qualification may carry less weight than a technology that appears repeatedly in the responsibilities.

Repeated terms and phrases

Pay attention to words that appear multiple times throughout the posting.

If a job description repeatedly refers to customer acquisition, data analysis, and performance reporting, those themes are likely more central to the position than a term mentioned once in a general statement.

Repetition isn't a guarantee of importance, but it can be a useful signal when deciding what to prioritise.

How to find keywords in a job description

A simple process can make keyword research much faster.

Step 1: Read the entire job description

Don't start by copying individual words.

Read the posting once to understand what the role actually involves. This gives context to the keywords and makes it easier to distinguish important requirements from generic hiring language.

Step 2: Highlight skills and qualifications

On the second pass, identify specific skills, qualifications, tools, certifications, and technologies.

For example:

"The successful candidate will manage paid search campaigns, analyse conversion data, conduct keyword research, and prepare monthly performance reports."

Potential keywords include:

• Paid search
• Campaign management
• Conversion data
• Keyword research
• Performance reporting

Step 3: Identify responsibility-based phrases

Next, look at the verbs describing what the candidate will actually do.

Words such as manage, analyse, develop, coordinate, optimise, implement, and report can reveal the nature of the role.

The surrounding phrase matters more than the verb itself. "Manage a team" and "manage paid search campaigns" represent very different requirements.

Step 4: Group the keywords

Instead of keeping one long list, organise the terms into categories.

This makes the list easier to use when tailoring the resume.

Step 5: Prioritise the important terms

Not every keyword needs to appear on the resume.

Give higher priority to terms that are:

• Listed as required qualifications.
• Repeated throughout the posting.
• Closely connected to major responsibilities.
• Specific to the role.
• Directly supported by the candidate's experience.

Generic phrases such as "fast-paced environment" or "team player" may be less useful than a specific skill or technology.

Step 6: Compare the keywords with the candidate's experience

This is the step that prevents keyword research from becoming keyword stuffing.

For every important term, ask:

Does the candidate actually have this skill or experience?

If yes, find the strongest place to demonstrate it.

If the experience exists but is described using different terminology, the resume may be able to use the job description's wording more clearly.

If the candidate doesn't have the qualification, it shouldn't simply be added to the resume to improve keyword matching.

How to use job description keywords in a resume

Once the keywords have been identified, the next step is to incorporate them naturally.

Add relevant keywords to the professional summary

The summary can include a few of the most important skills when they accurately describe the candidate's background.

For example:

SEO Content Strategist with 4+ years of experience in keyword research, content optimisation, and organic growth.

This immediately establishes relevance without creating a long list of keywords.

Use keywords in experience bullets

The strongest place for a keyword is often alongside evidence of using that skill.

Instead of:

Worked on SEO.

Use:

Conducted keyword research and optimised 40+ landing pages to improve organic search visibility.

The second version demonstrates both the keyword and the candidate's actual work.

Include relevant tools in the skills section

If a tool is genuinely part of the candidate's experience, list it clearly.

For example:

Skills: SEO, Keyword Research, Content Strategy, Google Analytics 4, Google Search Console, Semrush

This makes the information easy to identify while allowing the experience section to provide supporting evidence.

Match terminology where appropriate

Different companies may describe similar work differently.

For example, a candidate may have written "search engine optimisation" throughout their resume while the job description consistently uses "SEO."

Using the commonly used abbreviation alongside the full term where appropriate can improve clarity without changing the substance of the experience.

Common mistakes when finding job description keywords

Copying every keyword

A long keyword list isn't a strategy. Prioritise the terms that are most relevant to the position and supported by the candidate's background.

Looking only at the skills section

Important keywords can appear in responsibilities, qualifications, preferred experience, and throughout the description.

Ignoring repeated terminology

A term that appears several times may indicate an important part of the employer's expectations.

Adding skills that aren't possessed

This can improve keyword matching on paper but creates a credibility problem when the candidate is asked about the skill during an interview.

Removing natural language

A resume shouldn't become a collection of keywords. Recruiters still need to understand what the candidate actually did.

Treating all keywords equally

A required technical skill, a preferred certification, and a generic phrase about teamwork don't necessarily have the same importance. Prioritisation matters.

How LoopCV can help find and use job description keywords

Finding keywords is only one part of tailoring a job application. LoopCV offers several tools that can support the process from identifying suitable roles to preparing the final application.

• Find relevant jobs: The AI Job Search Tool helps candidates discover opportunities based on their preferences.
• Compare resume and job description: The Resume Keywords Scanner identifies keyword alignment and potential gaps.
• Check the resume: The AI CV Checker reviews resume content, structure, and ATS-related factors.
• Build and tailor a resume: The AI CV Builder helps create and customise resume content.
• Create cover letters: The AI Cover Letter Generator helps prepare application-specific cover letter drafts.
• Automate applications: LoopCV's application automation can handle repetitive parts of applying to suitable roles.
• Track applications: Application tracking features help keep applications and their progress organised.

Used together, these tools can reduce the manual work involved in analysing job descriptions and preparing applications. The candidate still needs to verify the information and decide which keywords genuinely represent their experience.

Conclusion

Finding keywords in a job description doesn't require copying every technical term or repeating the same phrases throughout a resume. The better approach is to identify the requirements that matter most, group them by type, and compare them with the candidate's actual experience.

Skills, tools, responsibilities, qualifications, and repeated terminology can all provide useful clues about what an employer is looking for. Once those terms are identified, they can be incorporated naturally into the resume where they accurately describe the candidate's background.

The result is a resume that is easier for an ATS to interpret and easier for a recruiter to understand.

FAQs

What are the most important keywords in a job description?

The most important keywords are usually the skills, qualifications, tools, responsibilities, and role-specific terms that are listed as requirements or repeated throughout the job description.

How do I find keywords in a job description quickly?

Start by identifying required skills, qualifications, tools, and responsibilities. Then look for repeated terms and group the findings into categories. A resume keyword scanner can speed up the comparison process.

Should every job description keyword be added to a resume?

No. Only use keywords that accurately represent the candidate's skills, experience, qualifications, or background. Adding unrelated keywords can make a resume less credible.

Where should keywords be placed on a resume?

Relevant keywords can appear in the professional summary, skills section, work experience, education, certifications, and project sections, depending on where they naturally fit.

Can AI find keywords in a job description?

Yes. AI-powered tools can identify skills, qualifications, technologies, and recurring terms in a job description and compare them with resume content. The results should still be reviewed by the candidate for accuracy and relevance.

Related reads

• How to Build an ATS-Optimized Resume
• How to Check Whether Your Resume Is Being Parsed Correctly by an ATS
• How to Find the Gaps Between Your Resume and a Job Description With AI