Let’s talk about manufacturing keyword research.
Here’s the thing most SEO people won’t tell you:
Your average manufacturer doesn’t need a million visitors. You need the right ten.
The guy from across town looking for low-volume CNC turning. The buyer from a Tier 1 supplier needing laser-cut stainless steel with a five-day turnaround. The project manager who wants someone who can get the job done to spec.
And guess what?
That person isn’t searching for what is manufacturing or history of precision engineering.
They’re typing keywords like:
- cnc machining aluminium 6061 uk
- sheet metal enclosure manufacturer
- low batch laser cutting service
Real searches. Real problems. Real buyers.
And yet, too many manufacturing websites are optimised for traffic instead of search intent.
They chase broad, generic terms because that’s what the SEO tools say to do.
But the money? The leads?
The actual business? It’s all hiding inside niche, specific, unsexy keywords that barely show up in keyword tools.
So, in this article, we’re going to fix that.
We’ll dig into the different types of keywords manufacturers should target — product keywords, capability terms, location-based searches, certifications, and more.
Not theory. Not keyword density nonsense. Just practical SEO built for folks who make things.
If you’ve already read my SEO for manufacturers guide, you’ve seen a glimpse of this.
If not, go check it out — it lays the foundation. This article? It’s the deep dive.
Let’s get into it.
1. Product category manufacturing keywords
If you manufacture or distribute products — whether it’s CNC machines, precision components, or industrial enclosures — chances are, you’re missing out on dozens of keyword opportunities just by lumping everything under one broad term.
“We sell CNC machines” isn’t a keyword strategy. It’s a placeholder.
The truth is, your products are already speaking in categories.
But most manufacturers only optimise for the top-level keyword, like cnc machines and ignore everything underneath.
That’s where the gold is.
Let’s say you supply or manufacture CNC machinery.
Here’s how that can fracture into rich keyword opportunities:
Top-level keyword:
- cnc machines
Subcategories (product types):
- 5 axis cnc machines
- 3 axis vertical machining centre
- horizontal milling machines
- cnc lathes with bar feeders
- gantry-type cnc machines
Specs and configurations:
- cnc machines with siemen controls
- cnc machines for aluminium
Buyer intent & use cases:
- cnc machiness for aerospace components
- used 5 axis cnc machines for sale
Each of these is a keyword with its own search behaviour and its own intent.
And many of them have far less competition than the broader cnc machine term.
How to build a product category keyword strategy
Start with your product range
Make a list of every machine or product you manufacture or sell.
Let’s slide back to our CNC machine scenario.
We can break our CNC machines down into:
- Type (milling, turning, router, EDM)
- Size or configuration (gantry, desktop, benchtop)
- Material compatibility
- Control systems (Siemens, Fanuc, Heidenhain)
- Features (tool changer, coolant system, rotary table)
Group these keywords into cluster
Each group can become a landing page or content hub.
For example:
- 5 axis cnc machines could include guides on applications, tolerances, materials, and case studies
- cnc machines for aluminium could talk about speeds, feeds, spindle RPM, and surface finish quality
Use tools to validate volume and intent
Start with:
- Google Autocomplete
- Keywords Everywhere
- Google Keyword Planner
- GSC (check existing queries bringing people to product pages)
Check out my best tools for manufacturing SEO guide for more info on this.
Optimise dedicated pages for each keyword cluster
Don’t rely on one generic “Products” page.
So going back to the CNC machine scenario, we might want:
- One landing page for 5 axis CNC machines
- Another for Vertical Machining Centres
- Another for Used CNC Lathes UK
Each page should include:
- Technical specs
- Compatible industries
- Photos or videos of machines in use
- Supplier/manufacturer info
- FAQs or buyer guides
Side note: Use filters to build even more keyword ideas
If your site includes a product filter (by type, size, spindle speed, etc.), each filter combination could become its own indexed page or content idea.
For example:
- CNC Milling Machines under £10,000
- CNC Routers with 12000 rpm spindle
- Training CNC Machines for educational use
2. Custom and bespoke manufacturing keywords
Here’s a truth you probably already know:
Most manufacturing orders aren’t off the shelf.
Sure, you might offer standard products — whether that’s aluminium profiles, machined parts, plastic components or enclosures — but a good amount of your business probably comes from people who say something like:
“Can you make this… but in our material, with these dimensions, and this tolerance?”
That’s where custom and bespoke keywords come in.
These are the keywords buyers use when standard won’t cut it.
They’re looking for flexibility. For engineering support. For short runs, fast lead times, or niche specs.
And if you’re one of the few who can deliver that? You need to make damn sure they can find you.
Real examples of custom manufacturing keywords
Let’s take aluminium extrusion as the example — something I’ve worked on directly.
We didn’t just target aluminium extrusion supplier.
That’s broad.
We targeted specific keyphrases like:
- custom aluminium extrusions uk
- bespoke aluminium profile manufacturer
- custom t-slot aluminium
These terms reflect real manufacturing conversations.
Someone’s not just looking to buy a product.
They want a partner to make something that fits their unique requirement.
Why this works
These keywords are:
- Lower competition (most big manufacturers ignore custom terms in favour of high-volume keywords)
- Higher intent (if someone searches custom aluminium extrusions they’re likely much closer to placing an order than someone searching aluminium profiles)
- Richer in context (custom searches often include application details, batch sizes, tolerances, or materials)
3. Industry-specific manufacturing keywords
When you’re deep in SEO for manufacturing, it’s easy to get stuck in the weeds of what you make — product specs, materials, machine types.
But here’s the twist: sometimes the door to more traffic — and more leads — doesn’t start with what you make. It starts with who you make it for.
Enter: industry-specific keywords.
Think less like a manufacturer and more like a solution provider.
Because buyers don’t always search for products.
Sometimes, they search for industry outcomes.
Real examples of industry keywords
Say you supply machined parts or assemblies. You might stumble across phrases like:
- aerospace cnc machining uk
- medical device machining services
- automotive metal fabrication company
These aren’t just keywords — they’re context.
Here’s how to use industry keywords strategically.
🧠Use them to build topical authority
Even if someone searching “aerospace components” doesn’t buy today, they may remember your site when they need a specific part tomorrow.
These keywords help you show up for broader research queries.
🧱 Use them to create industry landing pages
This is key.
Instead of trying to cram “aerospace,” “medical,” “defence,” and “automotive” into one generic services page, create industry-specific pages.
On each page, speak their language. Mention:
- Relevant certifications (ISO 13485, AS9100, etc.)
- Typical materials (e.g. titanium, Delrin, 316 stainless)
- Industry-specific use cases
- Past project examples (if NDA allows)
- Lead times and compliance processes
This bridges the gap between broad industry keywords and specific buyer intent.
🧩 Use industry keywords to support more specific pages
Your specific product pages — like custom aluminium extrusion for aerospace — can internally link to your broader aerospace manufacturing page.
It’s good for SEO structure.
🔄 When to use them:
✅ You’ve already optimised your product and capability pages
✅ You want to show up for more research-phase queries
✅ You work across multiple sectors and want to build authority in each
✅ You want better content ideas for your blog or resources section
Industry keywords are not where you start.
But once you’ve dialled in your high-intent, product-specific terms, they help you go wider without losing relevance.
They won’t always convert.
But they plant the seeds.
4. Specification-based manufacturing keywords
If you’ve ever worked with engineers, you’ll know one thing: they don’t search like regular people.
They don’t type copper pipe supplier.
They type 22mm copper pipe or 15mm copper pipe for central heating.
They think in specs.
Diameters. Tolerances. Threads. Materials. Wall thickness.
And they search the same way.
That’s why specification-based keywords are such a goldmine in manufacturing SEO.
They’re not flashy. They rarely show up in those “top keyword ideas” lists.
But they bring in exactly the kind of people you want: buyers who know what they need, and just need someone to make or supply it.
I noticed this firsthand with a client in the copper pipe industry.
Their main target keyword was the obvious one: copper pipe.
But when we dug into the data, we found something interesting.
Searches like:
- 22mm copper pipe
- 15mm copper pipe
- copper pipe 3m length
…each racked up thousands of monthly searches in their own right.
So we built dedicated landing pages for each size and spec.
Simple. Specific. Search-friendly.
Those pages brought in highly targeted traffic — and more importantly, they converted.
Because the people clicking those results weren’t browsing. They were buying.
👉 You can read more about that project here – Manufacturing SEO Case Study
That’s all he wrote, folks.
Until next time, peace.