For better rankings on Google and Bing, having a long tail keyword strategy is essential
Long tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases searched by users. Common examples of long tail keywords include adding a location, category, or details such as “Search Engine Optimization in Toronto” or “Long Tail Keyword SEO in Mississauga” In fact, Wordstream reported in 2016 that 50% of search queries are four words or longer.
Including long tail keywords in your search engine optimization strategy can yield greater results, in the form of website traffic, overall rankings, and ultimately, sales.
Why Should You Use Long Tail Keywords?
Long tail keywords are a pivotal part of any search engine optimization strategy, for a few reasons.
Less Competitive & More Affordable
Long tail keywords make up 70% of the total search traffic online. As a result, these terms have less competition when compared to more popular terms, which account for the remaining 30% of traffic. While it is beneficial to rank for generic, popular keywords such as “web design,” “SEO,” or “Search Engine Optimization,” it’s almost impossible for small businesses to do so efficiently because of their limited budget and strong global competition.
For instance, if you sell window blinds, it will take a lot of effort to rank for the keyword “blinds” as it has over 148,000,000 results on Google. However, targeting long tail keywords such as “motorized blinds” or “curtain track systems” which have less online competition will take less effort and will still attract customers.
Considering 75% of all search result clicks go to websites ranked on the first page, we use our long-tail keyword SEO strategy to have your business ranking on page one of Google and Bing for relevant keywords while staying within your limited budget.
Reach the Right Audience
When we search online, we either know what we’re looking for or we don’t. When we search for information and research, we’ll use plain keywords. As we go further into the process and learn more about the product/service, we’ll use long tail keywords for more specific queries. For marketers, long tail keyword searches indicate that a user is likely near the end of a buying cycle.
For example, if someone searches for “curtain rods,” they are likely not committed to a specific brand or style. On the other hand, if a user searches for “iron curtain rods for sale in Ontario” or “bay window curtain rods on sale,” they know exactly what they want and are more likely to buy.
With this in mind, it’s easy to see why long tail keywords are an essential part of effective SEO. When you combine the higher rankings due to lower competition and the buying intent of the searcher, it logically leads to more sales for your business.
Higher Conversions
Since you’ve used long tail keywords to leverage less competition and capture your audience later in the buying cycle, you’re more likely to see higher conversion rates from your search rankings. Higher conversions drive more traffic to your website, which leads to more paying customers.
Plus, if your online marketing strategy includes pay-per-click (PPC) advertising in search engines, the combination of low competition and the purchase cycle also leads to a lower cost-per-click (CPC). A low CPC plus a high conversion rate equals a larger return on investment for your business.
How to Find Long Tail Keywords
For the best search engine optimization results, we need to identify which long tail keywords to target. In order to do so, we need to conduct strategic keyword research. Instead of assuming what your audience searches for and blindly creating content around these keywords, we use the following tactics:
Predictive Search
Go to Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo and start searching. As you type, you’ll notice suggestions related to your search. This predictive search function provides you with insights into what users are searching for with relation to your search query.
For example, if you begin to type “best seo” the following long tail keywords may appear:
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best SEO companies in Toronto
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Best SEO company
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Best SEO Toronto
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Best SEO practices
We use these predictive searches to target related long tail keywords within your SEO strategy.
Google Keyword Planner
Another popular keyword tool used by search engine marketers is the Google Keyword Planner. This tool shows us search volumes, frequency, and other data related to specific keywords. Some other keyword tools we use include but are not limited to:
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Keyword Research Tool from WordStream
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Related Search Suggestions in Google
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Moz Keyword Explorer
How to Use Long Tail Keywords in Your SEO Strategy
Identifying long tail keywords and ranking for them on top of search engines are two separate feats. These keywords must be strategically placed throughout your website in places such as:
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Headlines
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Page Titles
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Meta Tags
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URLs
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Blog Content
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Page Content
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Alt Tags
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Image Names
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File Names
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Videos
And that’s only a part of it!
Considering that 99% of the top ranked sites on the first page of search results used meta descriptions and 80% used H1 tags in their content, your long tail keywords will stand out to users searching for specific answers and/or content.
Your keywords must be properly woven into the content and back-end of your website, not placed haphazardly – see the previous example of “motorized blinds” and “curtain track systems.”
On top of all this, there is an off-page component that is essential to have you ranking high on page one of Google and Bing for long-tail keywords.
This is Where Our SEO Services Come Handy
At Wisevu our search engine optimization professionals have an in-depth knowledge of how to find, target, and leverage long tail keywords to generate the maximum return on your investment.
Ready to take advantage of all the benefits long tail keywords have to offer? Contact the experts at Wisevu.
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