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If you are no stranger to the topic of SEO especially when it comes to blogging,
Then you may have come across the term “long-tail keywords” in your quest for proper keyword research and search analysis for boosting your blog traffic and ranking higher in the search results.
They are not new in SEO,
But have recently become a bit more popular because it was recently found that about 70% of all search queries on search engines were long tail keywords!
This sparked an interest in the blogging community.
A lot of bloggers started changing and tweaking their SEO strategies to include more long-tail keywords.
This way they could rank easily.
Since a majority of all short-seed keywords are harder to rank for because there are already established blogs competing for those keywords as well.
Before we dive into how you can start creating great blog posts for your long-tail keyword.
Let’s take a look at what long tail keywords are and how to use long tail keywords to rank the majority of your content in the search results.
What Are Long-Tail Keywords?
Long tail keywords are keywords at least 3 or 4 + words long and are a bit more specific than a focus keyword,
Searchers are more likely to use long tail keywords when they are trying to find a specific thing on the internet or even make a purchase online.
These types of keywords have a lower search volume than seed keywords
They are usually a lot easier to rank for especially if you are a beginner blogger looking to just get your name out there.
Long tail keywords can be really great in boosting your SEO efforts if they are well implemented on your blog.
How Do Long-Tail Keywords Work?
Here’s a long-tail keyword example to help you understand more;
Let’s say you are a new blogger whose blog is about fashion and styling,
You are looking to write a new blog post about denim pants,
If you check the search volume for the keyword denim pants,
You’d see that it is high, and so is the CPC and ranking difficulty score.
If we also take a look at the first page of Google for what kind of content ranks for that particular keyword,
You would see that most of them are online fashion stores selling denim pants,
A new blog like yours would probably have no chance of ranking for that keyword.
So what do you do?
You have to find a longer variation of the keyword, “denim pants“,
Something with about 4+ words long,
has significantly fewer searches than the initial keywords and a lesser keyword difficulty score, making it easier to rank for.
An example can be something like “denim shorts knee length” which is related to the seed keyword but is longtail and has fewer searches than the latter.
Even though the search intent is still commercial or transactional,
You can still see how this keyword would be a lot easier to rank for since its search difficulty is a lot lower than the keyword “denim pants”.
Why Do Bloggers Need To Focus On Long-tail Keywords?
As a blogger,
Depending on your niche choice,
It will be a lot easier to focus on long-tail keywords,
Especially if you are just starting out and looking to grow some industry authority.
Long tail keywords can help you increase your website traffic faster since they are much more specific than seed keywords.
They are also much easier to rank for if proper SEO optimization is done.
Even if the search traffic of these keywords is low,
It is very likely that your post will rank for multiple keywords relating to your long tail keyword even though they are not your focus keyword for that particular blog post.
How To Find Long-Tail Keywords In Your Niche
There are so many ways to find long-tail keywords,
You can take a look at your competitors’ websites and look at their blog posts.
Or you can run a site audit on their website to find out what long tail keywords they are currently ranking for that you can create a good blog post about.
If you are starting out,
Then it is best to stick to keywords with a keyword difficulty score of about 40 and below.
You can compete for keywords with a higher difficulty score as your blog grows and your domain authority or domain rating increases.
You can also find a long tail version of a seed keyword by:
- Looking at Google’s Auto Suggest keywords from the google search bar.
- Use the “Answer the Public” tool to find out what questions are being asked for that seed keyword.
- Look at the related searches for that keyword on Google.
- Use an SEO tool like Ahrefs Or SEM Rush.
- Check your Google Search Console search queries
- Look at the “people also ask” section of a google search result page.
- Check on search forums like Quora, Linkedin Answers, Yahoo Answers, Answers.com, etc.
- Use a longtail keywords tool or longtail keywords generators like Longtail Pro, SEM Rush, or Google Keyword Planner
FAQs
What are long-tail keywords?
Long tail keywords are keywords that are three or more words in length. They are more specific than general, one-word keywords, and because of this they generally have a lower search volume. However, long-tail keywords are often easier to rank since there is less competition for them.
Some businesses target long-tail keywords as a part of their online marketing strategy because they can be more profitable than general keywords. By focusing on long-tail keywords that are relevant to their business, these businesses can attract more qualified visitors who are already interested in what they have to offer. And since these visitors are already interested in the topic, there is a higher chance that they will convert into customers.
How can long-tail keywords help my SEO efforts?
Long-tail keywords are those three or four keyword phrases that are specific to your business and that potential customers are actually likely to search for online.
Because long-tail keywords are more specific, they’re also less competitive than generic keyword phrases. So you can rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs) for these phrases with less effort than it would take to rank for more widely searched terms.
But the real value of using long-tail keywords is that they help you attract more targeted traffic from people who are genuinely interested in what you have to offer. So if you want to improve your SEO efforts, start targeting long-tail keywords.
How do I find long-tail keywords?
Long-tail keywords are valuable because they are less competitive and therefore easier to rank for.
To find long-tail keywords, first, you need to come up with a list of seed keywords. A seed keyword is a broad term that describes your product or service. For example, “SEO services” is a seed keyword.
From there, you can use various online tools to generate long-tail keywords based on your seed keyword. Google’s Keyword Planner is a good place to start. Simply enter your seed keyword into the tool and it will generate a list of related keywords along with their monthly search volume and competition level.
How do I incorporate long-tail keywords into my website?
There are a few ways to do this. The most common way is to use them as keywords for your website content. You can also use them in the title tags and meta descriptions of your pages, and in the anchor text of your links.
Another way to use long-tail keywords is to include them in your Google AdWords campaign. You can create ads targeting specific long-tail keywords, and you can also create ad groups around related keywords. This will help you target more specific users who are more likely to be interested in what you have to offer.
Finally, you can also use long-tail keywords as part of your SEO strategy. You can target specific pages on your website for certain long-tail keywords
What are some common mistakes to avoid when using long-tail keywords?
- Not using long-tail keywords correctly: Many people make the mistake of using long-tail keywords as if they were regular keywords. This can lead to low search engine rankings and missed opportunities for leads and sales. Long-tail keywords should be used in addition to your regular keyword research, not in place of it.
- Not targeting the right audience: Just because a long-tail keyword is popular doesn’t mean it will be effective for your business. You need to do your research and find long-tail keywords that are relevant to your target audience.
- Neglecting to track results: As with any other marketing strategy, you need to track the results of your long-tail keyword campaigns in order to measure their success.
How often should I use long-tail keywords?
The best answer to this question is “it depends.” Long-tail keywords are most effective when they’re used in conjunction with other keyword research techniques, such as competitor analysis and search engine trends.
That said, it’s generally recommended that you use long-tail keywords throughout your website content, including in the title tags, meta descriptions, header tags, and throughout the body of the text. You can also use them in your email marketing and social media campaigns.
Long-tail keywords should be a part of your overall SEO strategy because they help you target specific users who are more likely to convert into customers. When you use long-tail keywords effectively, you can improve your website’s organic search ranking and increase your RO
Can I use too many long-tail keywords on my website?
It depends on how you are using your long-tail keywords. If you are using them in a way that is spammy or not helpful to your users, then you could potentially be penalized by Google. However, if you are using them in a way that is helpful and provides value to your users, then there is no reason why you should not use as many long-tail keywords as you want.
What are some other benefits of using long-tail keywords?
Long-tail keywords are more specific and, as a result, they tend to have less competition. This means that you’re more likely to rank higher for them. They also attract a more qualified audience because people who are using them are already interested in what you have to offer.
Because they’re more specific, long-tail keywords also tend to convert better than general keywords. In other words, people who use them are more likely to buy what you’re selling. So not only will targeting long-tail keywords help you rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs), but it will also help you achieve your conversion goals.
Wrapping Up
Long tail keywords are an essential part of any blogger’s SEO strategy,
Even already-established bloggers still look for long-tail keywords and create content on them.
This is because these keywords are a lot easier to get ranked for especially if you already have good authority in the industry and your blog has a great backlink profile.
Nevertheless, you should not only target long-tail keywords on your blog.
After your website gains a bit of authority,
You can then spread your wings enough to accommodate medium-difficulty keywords in your niche.
Learning how to use longtail keywords in your blog posts strategically can mean the difference between seeing results on your SEO efforts or not,
Use the methods mentioned above to get the best longtail keyword research results possible in your niche.
Let me know if it works for you, leave a comment below!
