You Should Be Using Them, and Here’s Why!
For many years, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) was all about the individual keywords that got you ranked at the top of the search engine results page (SERP) – if you had a keyword in your meta tags, headings, or content, you could very well win the rankings war. But, in the internet world of 2021 and beyond, this approach is no longer valid, because Google has changed the way in which it ranks pages, so traditional single word keywords will not deliver the results you need. This is where long-tail keywords come in.
What are long-tail keywords?
Long-tail keywords, in their purest form, are chains of keywords strung together in order to gain a visit from a potential customer or viewer who has a specific need. For example, instead of using the keyword ‘coffee’ as a café, you might use ‘single origin dark roasted coffee house’ instead. They most important thing ere is to use the words that are specific to your business or to the aim of your page.
Long-tail keywords have revolutionised the SEO game, and now you can take advantage of these keyword phrases to drive your SERP rankings and outpace your competition, while paying LESS in your Google Ads bids.
This may all sound simple to you, or it may sound like a foreign language. Either way, the team here at JezNorthWeb can help you through the keyword forest and into the open fields of website success. Read on to learn more!
Keywords and search engines
Long-tail keywords have the power to boost your existing SEO strategy and push high quality targeted traffic towards your website. Your site can even rank higher for broader keywords and increase your organic positioning within search engines if managed effectively. Could these keywords hold the answer to the next step in your SEO strategy?
Keywords: Then vs now
Keywords first entered the SEO scene back in the year 2000. There was no significant competition from other search engines and the top search results were far from being diluted.
In those days, long-tail keywords served as a strategy to optimise the entirety of the website and complement the existing SEO plan. The internet was young and hadn’t amassed the millions of sites it has today. Two kinds of keywords were created – the very same ones that exist to this day:
Short-tail keywords
Short tail keywords are those we most commonly think of when considering SEO, and these are usually very general queries often consisting of one word, such as “food”, “camera”, or “shirt”. These shorter keywords hold the most traffic and so can look very tempting to the novice online marketer.
However, this fact also makes short-form keywords incredibly expensive and competitive, often yielding millions of results meaning that getting your website listed on the first page of any search engine is going to be very hard indeed.
Long-tail keywords
On the other hand, long-tail keywords are actual phrases between 4 to 7 words long and thus precise. Thus, long-tail keywords have significantly less competition while still driving high-quality traffic from users who most likely know exactly what they are looking for. Therefore, long-tail keywords offer a much greater return on investment than their shorter counterparts.
What Do long-tail keywords mean for SEM?
In 2021, segment markets are overcrowded and highly competitive, and everyone is trying to ensure that their message is being heard. Your SEO strategy needs to be as robust as possible to ensure your voice carries over the rest. This means that Search Engine Marketers (SEMs) need to take advantage of long-tail keywords to increase their chance to rank in search engines and conserve effort spent in highly competitive environments.
While they are usually prohibitively competitive, it is worth mentioning that you should still be targeting short-tail keywords to continue driving general traffic to your website and increasing brand awareness. You just might not want to make them your priority.
I’m not convinced about long-tail keywords yet
If you’re not sold on the idea yet, here are some stats about long-tail keywords that might change your mind:
- 92% of Google Searches are long-tail keywords.
- Pages optimised for long-tail keywords move up 11 positions on average (compared to 5 for head keywords).
- Conversion rates for Long-tail keywords are 2.5 times higher than head keywords.
How to Find Long Tail Keywords
The data is certainly there, so, at this point, you might be thinking, ‘I’m listening, but where can I find long-tail keywords?’
Search your existing website copy
There are many places to discover suitable long-tail keywords to best complement your existing online marketing and SEO campaigns. One great place to start is your website. Scan your copy for any highly searchable key terms and phrases that your customers might be searching, in order to find a product or service like yours.
Avoid Jargon
When identifying and defining these key phrases, it is also crucial to remember how the customer is searching. Consider possible jargon or industry terminology that might come naturally to you but might be unknown to your customers. Try to keep things detailed but straightforward.
Ask JezNorthWeb to carry out your SEO for you
You have enough on your plate already, with your business and your team. Why not take away the added strain of trying to gain more online traffic? Speak to the team at JezNorthWeb to find out ways in which they can drive more traffic to your site and create more outcomes for you and your organisation.
Use SEO keyword tools
There are also dedicated tools for this kind of research, including SEMrush, Ubersuggest and Google Trends. Other options to inspire some ideas include the creative use of Google Suggest and their auto-complete feature.
Google Related Searches can also be used similarly and give some insight into the customer’s thought process when completing their research. Finally, your sites own web analytics can identify many existing keyword phrases that are already driving visitors to your site.
Talk to JezNorthWeb to find out more about long-tail keywords
Effective SEO and SEM can have a tremendous impact on the outcomes of your digital strategies and online marketing campaigns, but, developing a winning strategy can involve significant time and expertise.
Suppose you want to improve your search engine optimisation with effective use of short and long-tail keywords and more. In that case, our dedicated team at JezNorthWeb can develop a winning SEO strategy tailored directly to your needs. A comprehensive plan that could get you ranking on the first page of Google for various vital queries and phrases, ultimately increasing your brand awareness, online visibility and online conversion rate. For more information about how JezNorthweb can help you to optimise your SEO strategy to incorporate long-tail keywords, contact us on 0455 029 199. Alternatively, fill out our contact form to have one of our friendly and super helpful staff members contact you as soon as possible.
