Why Use Long-Tail Keywords In SEO And How To Find Them
What are Long-Tail Keywords?
Long-tail keywords are best to utilize for SEO as visitors typically use them when they are nearing the point of conversion or when by voice search. Long-tail keywords are phrases that are more specific and longer in comparison to short or head keywords. However, long-tail keywords are generally lower in search volume than generic keywords.
Long-tail keywords are phrases that are composed of at least three to five words. They are more convenient to use if you want to target niche demographics because they are more specific. Although not as competitive as generic keywords since they are designed to accommodate more specific queries. Nonetheless, this type of keyword reflects more of what people want to search for and significantly attracts more relevant traffic to your website, potentially leading to increased conversions.
Why Focus on Long-tail Keywords?
Why use long-tail keywords? Because they are essentially helpful in your SEO efforts. Using long-tail keywords is advantageous when you want to get ahead of your competition, as they are more specific than generic keywords. More so, you get higher chances of ranking on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) compared to more common head keywords. With this, when you use long-tail keywords for your blogs or copies, you can attract more traffic, especially those with specific queries. Hence, it is safe to say that the more specific and longer your long-tail keyword, the better it is for your rank performance. Lastly, due to how vast the internet is, you can now understand why marketers use long-tail keywords, as they tend to magnetize a more audience for your niche.
Why use Long tail Keywords?
1. Long-Tail Keywords Are Easier to Rank on SERPs
The main advantage of why you should use long-tail keywords is their ability to rank easier than generic keywords because they are more specific in nature, making competition against other keywords less. This implies that there are relatively fewer pages that compete to rank on the first page of SERPs. However, you have to make sure that you produce content or materials that are user-intent-focused, and your website should acquire quality links.
2. They are Intent-Rich and Has Higher Conversion Rates
Why use long-tail keywords? They convert twice higher as head keywords as they are more focused on user intent. Having more generic keywords won’t entice conversions as they don’t clearly provide enough information about an audience’s needs. In contrast, long-tail keywords are on the more specific side of the spectrum, making their chances for conversion high.
3. Long-Tail Keywords Actually Help Your Site Rank for Shorter Keywords
Long-tail keywords enable your website to rank for more niche-specific keywords and, as a result, increase your web traffic. When a website's traffic grows, more visitors link back to it, and Google recognizes it as a niche authority. Your website will be able to compete for the more difficult short-tail keywords in this way.
4. Long-Tail Keywords Help You Rank for Voice Search
Your top pick for voice search site optimization is long-tail keywords. Why use long-tail keywords? In essence, voice commands are long-tail keywords because they typically contain 4-5 words or more. Such queries are by nature long-tailed, so if you begin optimizing your site for them, it will eventually start to appear at the top results for voice searches.
How to find long-tail keywords?
1. Use Google Suggest
Long-tail keyword variations can be abundantly found in Google Suggestions. Simply begin typing your main keyword into the search field of Google to see the suggested variations. You can tell that a phrase is popular if it appears in a Google suggestion.
2. Use Google’s Related Searches
Conceptually similar to Google Suggestions that pop up as you type your query, Google's related searches provide the related search suggestions at the bottom of every SERP. Suggestions here might be more profound and slightly more tailored.
3. Mine Your Analytics
Did you know that most, if not all, of the keyword searches that direct your visitors to your website can be revealed by your analytics? You can discover a ton of long-tail queries that are bringing traffic to your website by looking through these keyword referrers. These terms might apply to your company but aren't yet well utilized on your website.
You can locate the organic keyword referrals by heading to Traffic Sources > Sources > Search > Organic. All the relevant keywords that you can use to optimize your content are available there. Moreover, you can also set the timeframe of the used keywords so it will be easier to identify audience behavior or patterns.
4. Mine Your Search Query Reports
Among the ways you can utilize your PPC campaign in AdWords is to use its Search Query Report for your SEO. Aside from your organic search results, a Search Query Report can display which keywords your audience uses that led them to click on your ads. Data from this report are deemed to be more accessible than those organic referrers in Google Analytics. This is also an easier way to identify the keywords generating real conversions for your site rather than just traffic.
5. Check Competitor’s Keywords
When pursuing a keyword term, it is always prudent to consider the competition. Discover what kinds of keyword variations your competitors who are in the top 5-10 positions are using, and leverage them to rank.
Examples of Long-Tail Keywords
Here are examples of “head keywords” that aren’t long-tail keywords:
digital marketing
virtual assistant agency
social media manager
blog post
coffee shops
Observe how these words are general and concise. These are characteristics that non-long-tail keywords frequently have.
Meanwhile, here are some examples of long-tail keywords:
digital marketing strategies to increase conversions
virtual assistant agency near me
benefits of hiring a social media manager
how to write a compelling blog post
best coffee shops to try near me
Look at how these search terms are detailed and lengthy. These are the indications that a keyword is long-tailed.
What are the disadvantages of long-tail keywords?
While long-tail keywords have many benefits, such as being more targeted and cost-effective, they also have some potential disadvantages. These include:
1. Lower Search Volume
Long-tail keywords are more specific and therefore have a lower search volume than broad, generic keywords. This means that they may not generate as much traffic to a website, which could impact overall visibility and lead generation.
2. Limited Scalability
Long-tail keywords often require more specific content to be created, which can be challenging and time-consuming. This can be especially difficult for businesses that offer a wide range of products or services, or for those in highly technical or niche industries.
3. Risk of Keyword Stuffing
Because long-tail keywords are more specific, there is a risk of overusing them in content, which can lead to keyword stuffing. This can negatively impact SEO and lead to penalties from search engines.
4. Difficulty in Creating Content
Because long-tail keywords are so specific, they may not be applicable to a wide range of products or services. This can limit the scalability of a website's SEO or PPC strategy and require a significant amount of effort to generate enough long-tail keywords to support a larger campaign.
5. Higher Conversion Rates but Lower Traffic
While long-tail keywords can drive highly targeted traffic to a website, the overall volume of traffic may be lower than with broad, generic keywords. This can impact brand awareness and lead generation, even though conversion rates may be higher.
Conclusion
Search engines like Google primarily want to provide information that is relevant to the users, and one of its criteria for websites — for them to be displayed on their SERPs — is its ability to give the ultimate user experience. To accomplish this, you must fully grasp your target market's search habits.
Finding long-tail keywords should be a significant aspect of your content marketing strategy. By effectively embedding these keywords into your material, you'll be able to match user intent and provide an excellent experience for your visitors.
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