Keywords reside as embedded metadata inside many image files, such JPEG, TIFF, PSD or DNG. Raw camera files such as NEF, ORF, CR2 etc. don’t have the keywords embedded into them, the keywords are either written to XMP “sidecar” files or stored in the Camera Raw Database, depending on the settings chosen.
So, if you copy/backup the keyworded files from Drive A to Drive B, the embedded keywords automatically travel with the files. No need to do this hard work manually twice. If the files are raw camera files and you are using sidecar metadata XMP files, then you would also have to backup these sidecar files as well as the original raw camera files. Bridge hides the view of these sidecar files, however if you use Bridge to copy a raw camera file, then it should automatically copy the “paired” sidecar file as well. It would depend on the backup software settings on which files are being copied/updated.
In addition to the resident keywords found in the image files or sidecar files, you may also wish to backup your Bridge keywords file as well:
Prepression: Bridge – Restoring a Lost Keyword XML File
AdChoices