[Long-Tail Keywords] - How To Use Them To Drive Traffic?

Photo by Vlada Karpovich [Pexels]

Long-Tail Keywords:

What are long tail keywords? Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases that are less commonly searched for, than more general, short-tail keywords.

These keywords are typically more specific to a particular topic, product, or service, and are often used by people who are further along in the buying process and are looking for a more specific solution to their problem.

Let's dig deeper to provide you with more information. Also, don't forget to read the FAQs at the end.

Do you know? - “A person searching with a long-tail keyword that then lands on your website converts at a rate more than 2.5x higher than visitors who searched on head terms” – Conductor

Long-Tail Keywords SEO Significance:

The beauty of long-tail keywords lies in their ability to attract highly targeted traffic to your website. When someone uses a long-tail keyword in their search query, they are typically looking for something very specific.

By targeting these specific phrases, you can optimize your content to match their search intent and increase your chances of ranking higher in search engine results pages (SERPs).

In fact, there are better chances to outperform your rivals from this perspective, even if you don't have any or a low number of backlinks on this keyword-based content post or page.

Long Tail Keywords Benefits:

Let's take a closer look at how long-tail keywords benefit your website's SEO performance, or why such long-tail keywords are so important for future SEO content.

1. Less Competition:

Long-tail keywords usually have less competition compared to highly competitive short-tail keywords.

This means that by targeting long-tail keywords, you have a better chance of ranking higher in the SERPs and driving more organic traffic to your website.

2. Higher Conversion Rates:

Long-tail keywords often indicate a higher level of intent from the searcher.

For example, someone searching for "best male running shoes for marathon training" is more likely to make a purchase compared to someone searching for "running shoes."

By targeting long-tail keywords, you can attract visitors who are further along in the buying cycle, resulting in higher conversion rates.

3. Enhanced User Experience:

Long-tail keywords help you create content that is more relevant and valuable to your target audience.

By understanding the specific needs and intentions behind these keywords, you can create content that directly addresses their queries and provides them with the information they are looking for.

This not only improves the user experience [UX] but also helps establish your website as a trusted source of information.

4. Improved SEO Strategy:

Incorporating long-tail keywords into your SEO strategy allows you to diversify your keyword targeting.

By optimizing different pages of your website for various long-tail keywords, you can increase your chances of ranking for multiple search queries.

This not only helps drive more organic traffic but also gives you an edge over your competitors, who may only be focusing on short-tail keywords. Therefore, it makes sense why you should target long tail keywords.

Indeed, for new websites or blogs, it is strongly advisable to start their SEO journey with long-tail keywords as an effective strategy to gain initial visibility and appeal to search engine algorithms.

Did you know? - “Long-tail keywords are a stand-out quick win” – Search Engine Land

How To Find Long-Tail Keywords?:

To find long-tail keywords, you should first conduct detailed keyword research to identify the specific phrases that are relevant to your product, service, or business.

There are various SEO tools and platforms available that can help you with this, such as:

• Google's Keyword Planner,

• Answer The Public,

• Also Asked,

• Google Trends,

• Quora,

• Reddit,

• Google Analytics [GA4] and Google Search Console [GSC] - if you have already connected to your site, and

• other premium SEO tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, and Long Tail Pro.

• You may even take advantage of ChatGPT for ideas.

SEO Keyword Metrics

Image Content Source - Ross Simmonds Newsletter

How To Use Long-Tail Keywords?:

Where to put long tail keywords? Once you have identified a list of long-tail keywords from the previous research process, you can start incorporating them into your content, page, blog, or website.

You can include them in your page titles, URL slug, meta descriptions, headings, and subheadings, as well as in the body of your content strategically.

It is important to use these keywords naturally and in a way that makes sense in the context of your content. Overuse of these appears spammy in the eyes of search engines.

These efforts strengthen the chances of your website ranking higher in search engine results, making it more visible to potential customers.

Additionally, keep in mind the importance of crafting unique, valuable, and high-quality content that aligns with the search intent to have a greater impact.

Are you aware? - “Long-tail queries account for almost 35% of traffic and almost 50% of conversions, according to Ahrefs” – Search Engine Land

Long-Tail Keywords Examples:

Here are some long-tail keywords examples to make you understand better. See the associated variations in search volume, and conversion rate.

Image Source - Semrush

Overall, long-tail keywords are those that can help you attract more targeted traffic to your website and improve your chances of ranking higher in search engine results.

Furthermore, by strategically incorporating these keywords into your content and website, you can also improve the visibility and relevance of your website to more potential customers.

Here's related information that you may find helpful – Domain Authority vs Domain Rating

FAQs:

What are Long-Tail and Short-Tail Keywords?:

Long-tail keywords are specific, longer phrases used in search queries, often with lower search volume and competition but have higher conversion potential.

Short-tail keywords are broader, shorter phrases with higher search volume but have more competition and low conversion potential.

Long Tail vs Short Tail Keywords:

Here's a tabular comparison between long-tail and short-tail keywords:

Image Content Source - Generated through ChatGPT

Please note that the effectiveness of using long-tail or short-tail keywords depends on your specific goals, target audience, and content strategy.

Are Long-Tail Keywords Better?:

Yes, long-tail keywords are better in general. They often have less competition, making it easier to rank for them, and they can attract highly targeted and engaged audiences.

However, it also depends on your business niche, the size of the target market, and your marketing goals.

“Unleashing the power of niche keywords, particularly those long-tail variations, is a game-changer for any successful SEO strategy” – Search Engine Land

Can Keyword Planner be Helpful to Discover Long-Tail Keywords?:

Yes, Google's keyword planner can be helpful to discover long-tail keywords. However, for a more thorough research analysis, using SEO premium tools is a wise choice to reach a significant conclusion.

Here's related information that you may find helpful – Keyword Density SEO [How good is it for content?]

Long Tail Keyword Generator:

By research, the most used long tail keyword generator tools are Ahrefs, Semrush, Keyword Tool, and Longtail.

Long Tail Keyword Generator Free:

By research, the most used long tail keyword generator tools for free are:

• Google's Keyword Planner

• Answer The Public

• Quora

• Reddit [Sub-Reddit's niche-specific communities]

• AlsoAsked

• Google Trends

• Google Search Console [GSC]

• Google Analytics [search bar input terms analysis]

Here's related information that you may find helpful – Which keywords are best to target in SEO? [Know these 4 guidelines to start with].

Short Tail Keywords Example:

Here are some short-tail keywords examples:

• School books

• Best movies

• Nearby resorts

• Vacations

• Female leggings

• Men's shorts

• Keto diet

• Smartphones

Ahrefs Long Tail Keywords:

To find Ahref's long tail keywords, it is best suggested to use Ahref's Keyword Generator Tool.

Etsy Long Tail Keywords:

To find Etsy's long tail keywords, it is best suggested to use the Keyword Tool Pro version.

Medium Tail Keywords:

Medium-tail keywords are phrases that are longer and more specific than short-tail keywords but not as long and specific as long-tail keywords. They typically consist of 2 to 3 words.

Here are some examples of medium-tail keywords:

• Content marketing strategies

• Diet meal planning

• Budget travel hacks

• iPhone latest reviews

• Home workout schedule

Most Searched Long Tail Keywords:

The most searched long-tail keywords vary depending on the goals, business niche, trends, and searcher's purpose. In other words, it is not limited to a certain niche market.

Here's related information that you may also find helpful – Content Marketing vs SEO

P.S: Visit Digital Marketing Forum that answers [most un-answered] questions.

P.S.S: Please don’t forget to forward this blog post to your network so they can get the best tips, practices, strategies, education, resources, and tools to help their businesses grow.