Keywords are key for helping people find your website. But there’s a lot of competition. Not all keywords are equal, either. A lot goes into choosing the right keywords. Long-tail keywords are one of the most important aspects of this area.
That may sound like a complicated concept, but it’s quite simple. But first, we need to remember that “keyword” hardly ever refers to a single word. Instead, it can be several words in some kind of descriptive phrase. That’s what makes them “long-tailed” – the tail is made up of the additional words that might revolve around a core word.
A user is likely to search for something more specific than “shoes” to quickly get the result they want. In the same way, you should write with that in mind.
For instance, “shoes” could be a keyword, but it’s not very helpful. We don’t know what the user wants to know. Maybe they want to know the Polish words for shoes. Maybe they want to know when shoes were first used. They might simply need a photo of an old shoe for a project.
We also don’t know what kind of shoes they want. It could be wingtips or water shoes, basketball shoes or boots. It would help to know a preference for color and size, too.
Use Descriptive Keywords
Odds are, there a lot of things out there in the same general category as your product or service. Whether you sell shoes, shovels, or manure, your product has something more special about it than a single word.
When you create content – whether it be on a landing page or in a blog article or a product description, it’s important to be unique. Talk about what this particular product or service is good for. Discuss anything relevant, whether it’s the size, color, or the tasks it makes simpler.
Focus on the description. If you’re selling red men’s Jordan basketball shoes, say it. Don’t shy away from stringing together the main words that a customer may find interesting.
In short, don’t be vague. Spell out what you offer. Try to do it in a way that your intended audience will understand.
Use High-intention Keywords
Another aspect of long-tail keywords is intentionality. Sure, you want to attract visits to your site. But you don’t want just any visit. You want to focus on getting ones that convert!
If you sell a product – like our red men’s Jordan basketball shoes – you probably have an online store set up already. And its structure already includes words like “buy”, “shopping cart”, “cost”, “sale”, and the like. That’s perfect! But if you are also creating a landing page, you want to include some of those words in your text. The same is true if you’re writing an article about why to buy from you.
Of course, maybe you’re not selling. It could be you’re writing the history of the Jordan line of shoes. And you’ll have many of the same words. You might even talk about buying and selling.
However, search engines are going to understand that someone who queries, “where to buy ….” is likely to be looking for a store, not a history. You might still show in the search, but likely won’t rank as high for that term. But if the user looks for, “The story behind . . .”, you have a better chance. Still, you can include that phrase
The clearer your information is, the more likely you’ll rank well for the correct audience.
Research – The Kingmaker
Finally, don’t forget to do your homework.
Content may be king, but without research it’s useless. When focusing on keywords, it’s important to research what people search for. You may have a guess, but it’s always better to check it out.
There are plenty of tools around. You can find them within Google Ads or through tools like Ubersuggest or Ahrefs.
Put in your keyword (remember, that means a phrase, not a single word). You’ll get back a report on how many searches took place for that term. You’ll also get a list of related keywords. Do any of them fit? Do they have a decent amount of search volume?
Try to capitalize on keywords that have a decent amount of volume but low competition. Of course, they should fit what you’re promoting.
Remember, you don’t need to rank for the keywords with the highest volume. You want to rank for the ones that match your goals the most. Those are the prospects that are likely to convert.
So be sure to take the time to research keywords. You may find undiscovered treasures – and you’ll be basing your content on data in an industry where data controls everything!
Conclusion
Long-tail keywords take into account the specifics of what users want. They’ll help you attract site visitors that arrive for the right reason. By using long-tails well, you’ll help the right people find the right page. And that’s the whole goal, isn’t it!