what you need to know about long-tail keywords in SEO
Matthew Wyatt, 30th May 2023
What do you need to know about long tail keywords in SEO?
When it comes to growing your business's digital presence, having an SEO-optimized website is one the most effective and sure ways to increase your website's traffic and grow your brand. Keywords are essential for SEO and are one of the most talked about aspects of search engine optimization. Despite keywords being well known by most people, long tail keywords are less well known but can be as impactful in bringing in business.
Long tail keywords can be an excellent way for businesses to improve their website's SEO and increase traffic to their website. Still, to properly implement it, it's essential to understand what they are and how they work.
What are long-tail keywords?
Long tail keywords are longer, more specific searches; they are generally less commonly searched for but can be more specific with more specifications. An example of a long tail keyword will be something like 'light blue pen with glittering ink,' where the search offers a lot of detail on what the keyword is but a smaller amount of people will be searching for this.
When compared to short-tail keywords, long-tail keywords will yield lower searches, but they aim for more conversion through these searches.
Advantages of using long-tail keywords
Less competition
One of the defining aspects of long-tail keywords is how specific they are. Long tail keywords go for particular searches that can contain a lot of detail, which means there will be much less competition for these searches. Keywords such as 'blue pen' or 'sofa' are highly contested searches and make it very hard for your website to appear on the first page. Long tail keywords increase your chances of being the first search result and getting more clicks.
Fewer searches but more valuable searches
Long-tail keywords are always going to have lower searches than short-tail keywords. One advantage of long tail keywords is that they can be more effective at times because the people clicking on your website will be more interested in what they are seeing and would have specifically searched for that thing. The overall conversion rate with long tail keywords is higher than the conversion rate with short tail keywords.
Allows newer websites to improve their SEO
For newer websites, it can take a lot of work to enter the digital world and be competitive straight up. With more common keywords, larger websites will always have the edge, and most of the time, they will be the ones displayed on the front pages of Google searches. Long tail keywords offer websites with lower authority and ranking to improve their SEO and increase traffic to their website. Your content can be the best, but it won't matter if people don't visit your website.
Voice searches
Voice searches through software like Siri or Cortana allow users to search the web using their voice. When people usually use their voice for searching on the internet, what they search for can be very detailed and more conversational. Long tail keywords can be great at attracting customers searching for something specific and visiting your website. Voice commands have been increasing in popularity over the last decade, and long tail keywords are great when it comes to taking advantage of that.
Getting started with long tail keywords
The long tail keywords you want to use in your website must be relevant to your website. You want to have keywords with a lower volume of searches, but that search should directly relate to your business. There's no point in selling lies or using long-tail keywords that don't relate to your website.
Google suggested searches and the search bar can also help you out a lot as both of those allow you to see suggested searches and what people on the net might be searching for. Having extra help in knowing what might be effective is very helpful.
Services for SEO needs
Long tail keywords for SEO, in general, can be tricky to use at their full potential, and you might require some help for it. There are plenty of online seo services that can help you with exactly that and have your website looking fully professional with proper usage of all the tools at their disposal, like long tail keywords.