Keywords help your website compete on the search engine results page, and show in front of your competition when a user is looking for a solution that you provide. But just using words in your content is not enough for a good content strategy.
This is why today we are going to discuss the benefits of long-tail keywords in your SEO strategy. More precisely, why choose long-tail keywords and how to use them to your advantage.
Nowadays, Google’s focus on user experience and search intent paired with an increased interest towards accessibility and voice search, means that using long-tail keywords for the benefit of your SEO strategies is more crucial than ever before.
And you might think, just a few years ago hunting for long-tail keywords with low search volume looked a lot like a waste of time and energy. But if you don’t have a long-tail SEO strategy in 2021, then you’re missing out.
As more and more content is added on the internet every day, simple keywords are impossible to rank for. But, it is quite easy to find long-tail keyword opportunities, target low-competition keywords with high conversion rates, and use them to improve your content.
And, if you are new to this area, you are definitely in the right place. So read on as we explain:
- What exactly are long-tail keywords and how do I find them?
- How can Long-Tail keywords help my SEO?
- How do I use Long-Tail Keywords in my SEO Strategy?
Before I get into the benefits of long-tail keywords for your SEO strategy, let me explain the term.
What Are Long-Tail Keywords and how do I find them?
Long-tail keywords are highly targeted search sentences that give searcher intent. They often have a low search volume, low competition, and high conversion rates.
They are called long-tail keywords because if you were to plot your keywords by their search volumes, they would be on the “long tail” end of the curve. It means that only a few people are searching for these terms each month.
Even though there is a reduced search volume, long-tail keywords are easier to rank and result in higher conversions compared to other keywords. Long-tail keywords are just better at communicating a clear message to the customer’s need.
Your customer might be looking for more information on what things your business is offering. Long-tail keywords are usually around three words due to their precision.
How to Find Long-Tail Keywords
Ranking for the right long-tail keywords might be better than striking gold. And, discovering new long-tail keywords is easy, and you can create a substantial list in minutes.
All you have to do it first, grab the long-tail keywords that you know you rank from your Search Console. Now, download the same information for your campaigns, Facebook page, Twitter account, YouTube videos, Instagram, and any other metrics you can think of that might reveal new terms.
Next, try to discover new long-tail keywords in your niche that you could rank for. Here’s how to create a list of potential long-tails manually:
1. Prepare a list of seed keywords – Make a planning list for your keywords. There are some free tools to help you create and develop a list of commercial terms to target.
2. Look at Google’s autocomplete suggestions – Type each keyword into Google and write all the suggestions down.
3. Collate Google’s related search suggestions. Scroll down to the bottom of each SERP and write the related searches in your list as well.
4. Do the same on other search engines, like Bing, if you want to optimize your site on other search engines.
5. Add these potential long-tails to your target list. Group all of your keywords down and get ready to start shortening your list.
The benefits of Long-Tail keywords SEO
Google’s algorithms are changing all the time to ensure a better user experience. Therefore, you need to stay updated on your SEO strategy. You need to know how to use your keywords for the promotion of your content.
You have to balance your main keywords with some long-tailed keywords, as it is important to have a very specific intent. The power of long-tail keywords will increase your business the search engine optimization significant and provide more attention to your site.
Here are six reasons how long-tail keywords can benefit your SEO strategy.
1. Long-tail keywords help your website rank better compared to using short-tail keywords.
People in a similar industry as you are trying to rank with short-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords do have a lower search volume; by using long-tail keywords in your content it will be showing on all related niche searches. It will help your audience find exactly looking what you offer on your website.
2. Your website will get featured in snippets.
Featured snippets are short pieces of content that you will find on the top of Google’s search results. They will help users to find what they are looking for, without entering any article or link. Snippets are a great time-saver. If you are using long-tail keywords, it will increase your odds of getting featured in these snippets.
3. You will have better chances of getting more links to your site.
Long-tail keywords will increase traffic volume to your site which means you will have a higher chance of obtaining links.
4. Long-tail keywords make you a stronger competitor.
It is not everyone in a similar business as you, who knows that long-tail keywords can help websites get more traffic. The competition is high when it comes to short-tail keywords, and if you are using the long-tailed ones, it will eliminate the chances of competing with thousands of other businesses.
5. It gives an insight.
Long-tail keywords will give your customers some insight into your business or what products/services.
6. It helps your posts appear on voice searches. Voice search has grown a lot in the last couple of years. People who use voice search do not use short-tail keywords when they are searching. Instead, they are using long-tail keywords, as they search for answers to exact questions.
For example, users who search for solutions like; “How to lose weight” will not say “Alexa, lose weight”. They will say; “Alexa, how do I lose weight in two weeks?” Having a long-tail keyword in your content, will improve your chances of ranking for specific requests like this.
How do you use Long-Tail Keywords in your SEO Strategy?
Organic traffic is the main benefit when using long-tail keywords. According to research, about 70% of traffic comes from long-tail keywords. Here is a couple of ways you can use long-tail keywords to improve your SEO strategy.
Which Long-Tail Keywords are your competitors ranking for?
If it is difficult to figure out which long-tail keywords you should look for, then visit some of your competitors’ sites and look through their content. Select a website that has some content related to yours as well as it should be ranking higher than your website. Then, use Google to help you find the right long-tail keywords that will improve your rankings.
Create great content
Writing content that is around 2,000 words can help you improve your rankings on the search engines. Focus on using one or two long-tail keywords in each content to prevent getting penalties and low rankings.
Content on around 2000 words is a lot more appealing and shareable compared to shorter pieces of content. Research shows that articles with a word count of 2,250 to 2,500 are earning the most organic traffic.
Keywords in Headings and Meta Description
Incorporate long-tail keywords in your headings and meta-description. No matter what kind of content you are using, remember to include the keywords in your social media posts, blogs, or forums. It will help you rank higher, particularly if you have an interesting headline or meta-description. Moreover, it will help improve your website’s position, engagement and get more organic traffic.
Keywords in Subtitles
However, people also look at your subtitles before reading your actual blog post. Using strong headlines in your content will make the readers remember your website. It can make them go back to your website in the future.
Remember these guidelines when using subtitles for your content:
- Make use of different sizes of headings (H2, H3) to boost your SEO efforts.
- Avoid stuffing keywords by using synonyms for words that mean the same.
- Select the subtitles that are related to your headings, topic, and overall content.
Track Your Long-Tail Keywords
Make it a routine to track the profitability, ranking, lifetime value, and conversion of your keywords. It will help you pay attention to which keywords need to be optimized, so you can support your website to maintain the top rankings.
A way to track your rankings for long-tail keywords is by looking on Google. Open a tab and scroll down the pages till you will find your post. Furthermore, you can use free tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, Semrush, Dyno Mapper, and SEO Profiler to track the keywords.
Make it Sound Natural
Most long-tail keywords can sound a bit unnatural when using them in posts or other types of content. Google can easily see if you are just throwing your keyword into the text, which can provide you with a penalty in the end.
A good idea is to use synonyms for words with almost the same idea. Look at the content as if you are talking to another person. The sentences need to move pleasantly and not like the keywords were just pushed into the text.
Create a believable Intro and Conclusion
Write a catchy and convincing introduction, which will help make your readers engaged. The content will also improve your rankings if you effortlessly include your long-tail keywords into the text. Moreover, an informative and useful introduction will make the reader ready for what they need to read below.
Search engine crawlers also love rewarding sites that have a strong and well-defined introduction and headline.
Final Thoughts
Nowadays, searching for long-tail keywords is crucial for your SEO strategy. If you are not known as an expert within your niche, then it is definitely time to start creating more value, creating posts about your business, and rewriting your website to communicate unique offers or services out to your customers.
But how can you use long-tail keywords to your benefit in the SEO strategy? There is no doubt that Long-tail keywords offer several benefits. They provide you a higher search engine ranking and more organic traffic that’s perfect for your website’s content. This is essential if you want to improve your business or SEO strategy.
The above guidelines show you how to find the Long-tail keywords, but more importantly, how you can improve and add them to your SEO strategy.
Your use of long-tail keywords can be really effective, as long as you know your target audience, utilize low-competition keywords, integrate long-tail keywords into your content, as well as using links to track and measure long-tail keyword results.
To create your website content and optimize your sites with new long-tail keywords, and do not forget to track your rankings and traffic. Perhaps you’ll find more new keyword phrases, that will help improve your rankings on the search engines.
The combination of using keyword tools and make an effective strategy will help maintain your SEO efforts. Long-tail keywords are a chance for you to connect with your customers on another level while your overall rankings are getting better.
