With the growing competition around core keywords that every SEO practitioner wants to target, there seems to be a need to come up with more creative solutions to stay on top of your game.
The solution? Long-tail keywords.
Long-tail keywords have been used by experts offering SEO services for a while now, and it still works. If used correctly, it can be a compelling way to take advantage of high-intent search traffic.
What are Long Tail Keywords?
Long-tail keywords are keyword phrases that are three or more words long and very specific as they are more focused on a niche.
For example, if you sell kids sneakers, your primary keyword would be “kids sneakers.” However, there will be other relevant phrases that you can target effectively here. These longer tail keywords may have lower search volume but rest assured that search intent will be clearer.
Why Makes Long-Tail Keywords Valuable?
Lower competition
Long-tail keywords are much easier to rank than short-tail keywords because of the relatively low competition. They also account for 70% of all web searches, so if you’re not focusing on them in your strategy, you’re missing out on massive opportunities to drive quality traffic.
Better conversion rate
Long-tail keywords have better conversion rates because people who use them know more about what they want. For example, when a person searches for “kids sneakers online,” that person is more likely to purchase immediately as opposed to a person who searches for “kids sneakers.”
Increases the chance of your content being seen
Whenever someone searches for a long-tail keyword, the results of modern Google searches are far more personalized according to their location, age, sex, interests, etc. That means two users entering the same search term may see different results. Long tail keywords can help optimize your website for different categories of searchers because they’re more specific.
Benefits of Using Long-Tail Keywords
1. It will help you rank for short-tail keywords too
More often than not, long-tail keywords already include the short keywords you likely want to rank for. This makes it easier to hit both of your goals, boosting your ranking for those main keywords as well as your specific, targeted ones. Higher site rankings = more organic traffic, so this is good news.
2. It optimizes your blog strategy
One of the easiest ways for your website to start ranking is to create a blog. If you’re feeling overwhelmed about how to start, you don’t have to worry, as your long-tail keywords can guide you. They can give you insights into what your audience is searching for and allow you to create valuable content that can address some of their pain points while utilizing said key phrase.
3. It allows you to personalize your content
Let’s talk more about long-tail keywords guiding the content you produce. Long-tail keywords are comprised of four or five words (sometimes even longer) and usually contain descriptive words like gender, nationality, or geographical location. You can use this to your advantage by creating different pieces of content that can support the various categories and services that your company offers. This allows you to be more targeted with your content strategy and reap the benefits of contextual marketing.
4. You can get ideas from Google Analytics
Keyword research for long-tail terms isn’t as complicated, as some of them may come straight from your web analytics service like Google Analytics. Combined with Google Search Console, you’ll be able to see the performance of your chosen long-tail keywords too, such as search volume and conversion rates, allowing you to choose the best ones for your SEO strategy.
5. It prepares you for trends of tomorrow
Long-tail keywords are more conversational, and that’s a crucial ingredient in your SEO strategy. They’re at the heart of Google’s latest search engine algorithm, as it aims to study Natural Language Processing (NLP) and the intent behind the search. Even voice assistants, which read off answers from featured snippets, prioritize results that include long-tail keywords in them.
Bottom line, adopting long-tail keywords is necessary for your blog or website’s future.
How to Get Started Using Long-Tail Keywords
Looking for long-tail keywords requires extensive keyword research, but there are a couple of ways to get started that can help guide the rest of your strategy:
Look at the keywords Google is suggesting
When you type keywords in the search bar, Google automatically suggests the following words users are likely to enter based on the popularity of the query. Following the above example for “kids sneakers,” here’s an example of what Google’s suggestions look like:
Check related searches at the bottom of the page
Google also suggests related searches at the end of the first page, which are worth checking out. You can explore a wide range of long-tail keywords here and further understand what people are searching for. Here’s an example of related searches to “kids sneakers online.”
Looking for reliable SEO services in the Philippines? Look no further than Spiralytics! Our expert team can help you achieve better search rankings with our proven long-tail keyword strategies. Get in touch with us today to get started!
Additional Readings
If you want to learn more about long-tail keywords, Shopify and Search Engine Watch blogs also have great reads on it:
How To Increase Your Traffic Through Long Tail Keywords
The Resurgence of Long Tail Keywords in SEO
Here are a few more intriguing case studies that prove the success of integrating long-tail keywords as part of your core SEO strategy:
Long-Tail Keyword Research for Click4Reg
Case Study: The Long Tail Secrets of a High-Ranking Quiz
Long-Tail Keywords: The Secret to Getting TONS of Search Traffic
