Long Tail Keywords Benefits You Should Know
As a searcher, you may have experienced looking up products online, and the results are not to your liking. You searched for "highlighters" and were given a broad list. However, you are looking for something specific.
To generate a more personalised search result, you try to look up the product using particular keywords. Hence you check on "light coloured highlighters for studying". This type of keyword search is what we refer to as long-tail keywords.
The use of the long-tail keyword is a powerful content strategy that you can employ, especially if you are a small or startup business that aims to compete with the big guns in your industry.
What are long-tail keywords?
In simple terms, long-tail keywords target specificity, and thus they are considered less competitive than others. The same reason why searches for long-tail keywords are relatively low in volume; each month, only a few inquiries are made in search engines.
For effective strategy using long-tail keywords, remember that word length is not the determining factor; you must target a specific niche.
The anatomy of a long-tail keyword
Your long-tail keyword has two parts: the head keyword and, of course, the long-tail keywords. Head keywords are comprehensive; they can cover almost everything about the topic searched.
For example, an engineering student would likely look up "pens for engineering students" instead of just searching for "pens". "Pens" is considered the head keyword and is less specific.
Hence, the results will lead to topics about different brands of pens.
Let us dissect some long-tail keywords:
SEO | SEO Agency In Auckland NZ SEO Company for small business |
Cakes | Layer cake with chocolate ganache Non-bake cake |
Shoes | Running shoes price Nike running shoes for men |
Still not convinced? Let us discuss the use and benefits of focusing on long-tail keywords.
It offers better value than short-tail keywords.
Searchers would want their needs met, not wanting to go around the internet looking for a viable option. If you don't offer what people are looking for, they will leave your site quickly—and your bounce rate will likely go up.
The people who arrive on your site from long-tail keyword searches are there because you specifically offer what they need. For those reasons, it makes sense that marketers prefer to use long-tail keywords for outbound marketing activities designed to get traffic to their websites.
Less Competition
There is relatively low competition between long-tail keywords, so you stand a better chance of ranking higher—long-tail keywords such as "chocolate ganache cake" return far fewer results than "cakes" alone.
- Cakes = 3,400,000,000 search results
- chocolate ganache cake = 42,000,000 search results
Conculsion: “chocolate ganache cake” keyword has 99% less search results compared to “cakes” keyword
By the principle of elimination, long-term keywords will filter the search results to a specific niche. Compared to common keywords, it is much easier to achieve a higher position for long-tail keywords in both organic search results and paid ad results.
Better Conversion Rate
There is a volume of searches for short-tail keywords in a month, which is likely to increase website traffic. Increasing traffic is beneficial to any website, but an increase in traffic does not necessarily mean an increase in conversion rate.
Compared to short-tail or general keyword searches, long-tail keywords have a better conversion rate than short-tail keywords due to the searched' keyword's specificity. The searcher is more likely to purchase the product because it already meets their needs.
Finding the right long-tail keyword for your website
Now that you have a better comprehension of the use and importance of long-tail keywords, you must find the right long-tail keyword for your website. The first step is to find your niche, the product, or the service you want to offer your audience.
To rank in some markets, especially in a highly competitive industry, you need to be willing to spend a lot of money on marketing, such as search engine optimisation. If you are a small or startup business, you are at a disadvantage in terms of spending.
But if you have a clear vision for your business or website, you should be able to define what makes you stand out from the crowd. Use your mission statement as a starting point when creating your long-tail keyword.
Keep it as simple and unique as possible; list specific keywords that best describe your product or service or the topic you are writing about. A simple "restaurants in New Zealand" will give you a broad search results list. But search for "high-end restaurants with nice views in NZ", and you will have your work cut down because you can immediately find what you are looking for.
How to find the right long-tail keywords for your website
Now that you know the 'whys', it's time to understand how to find the right long-tail keyword. The first thing that you ought to do is to know how a searcher thinks.
You have to act as the customer and build a customer persona which is a profile of your target consumer, their information such as their age, gender, income, and other pertinent information that you can use to specify them as your target.
Once you have a better understanding of your target audience and a clear vision of your niche, you can already begin listing keywords that relate to both. Some tools can help you generate long-tail keywords that you can use.
Here are a few of the tools for you to try:
- Google Keyword Planner
- Semrush
- Ahrefs
- Ubersuggest
- HubSpot Content Strategy Tool
- Answer the Public
- Keyword Tool Dominator
- LongtailPro
- Google trends
You can also seek help from professionals with years of experience doing keyword research. Netbloom offers SEO services tailored to your needs and, of course, your budget. You will get the best results and grow your online visibility, visit our website now to see and know more about us.
Next Step: Write Amazing Content
Using a long-tail keyword is just a part of a whole; the next thing you need to do is write amazing content about your products or services.
The topic that you write on should flow naturally; it must not sound forced. Include long-tail keywords in your content or web page that are highly relevant to your niche. It will help you rank higher and segregate you from your competitors.
Sometimes working smart is the best course of action; you need to take the risk, but it must also be calculated. Ranking with the use of short-tail keywords will take more of your time and resources. It would not help if you competed against other businesses using the same strategy to gain traction.
The market is already saturated; you must avoid using short-tail keywords if you can, especially if there is a better alternative. By targeting long-tail keywords, you have less competition and an easier time ranking on search results, with the possibility of an increased conversion rate.
Note: Original post can be found HERE.