Proper keyword research is an essential component in search engine optimization (SEO). You can’t expect to achieve a top search ranking for your website without first identifying relevant keywords. Unfortunately, many first-time webmasters make the mistake of targeting generic keywords, only to realize later that it’s next-to-impossible to rank for them. A smarter approach is to target long-tail keywords — something that we’re going to discuss in today’s blog post.
What Are Long-Tail Keywords?
Keywords — when speaking in the context of SEO and Internet marketing — can be broken down into one of two different categories: short-tail and long-tail.
- Short-tail keywords live up to their namesake of being short, often containing just one or two words.
- Long-tail keywords, on the other hand, are longer and more descriptive.
An example of a short-tail keyword is “weight loss,” whereas an example of a long-tail keyword in the same or similar niche is “weight loss tips for women.” As you can see, long-tail keywords are longer and more specific than their short-tail counterpart.
Benefits of Long-Tail Keywords
Less Competition
There are numerous reasons why you should target long-tail keywords instead of short-tail, the most notable being less competition. Using the same example keywords cited above, there are some 221 million results in Google for “weight loss” but only 42 million for “weight loss tips for women.“ It’s generally easier to obtain a top search ranking for keywords with less competition. You’ll have a significantly easier time ranking your website for a long-tail keyword as opposed to a short-tail one.
More Targeted Traffic
Long-tail keywords also deliver more targeted traffic. If you run a health website that’s aimed strictly at women, for instance, you’ll benefit from using this modifier in your target keywords (e.g., weight loss tips for women vs weight loss tips). Long-tail keywords can yield huge benefits in terms of conversions, whether they are part of an SEO campaign, PPC marketing, email, or any other advertising platform.
Can Be More Cost-Effective in CPC Advertising
Because long-tail keywords have less competition, bidding on them in an Adwords or other paid search marketing campaign will cost you less. Longer, more specific keywords appeal to your target audience as well, meaning you can get higher ad rankings without having to pay more.
Tips for Targeting Long-Tail Keywords:
- Use a third-party tool like Google’s Adwords Keyword Planner tool to uncover long-tail keyword ideas.
- Choose long-tail keywords that are highly relevant to your site’s content.
- A good rule of thumb is to focus on keywords with lots of traffic and minimal competition.
- Build backlinks while using your chosen long-tail keywords as anchor text.
- Analyze your website’s stats to determine which keywords visitors are searching for to reach your site.
- Include your chosen long-tail keywords in articles and blog posts.
Speaking of blog posts, check out this recent and helpful post on blog post SEO.
Don’t have time to find out which long-tail keywords and phrases will help searchers find your business faster? Let us help. Schedule a FREE business growth call here to see how we can connect you with customers in your niche.
Have any other long-tail keywords SEO tips that you would like to share with our readers? Let us know in the comments section below!
