Long Tail Keywords

Long Tail Keywords are simply the longer and more targeted phrases that people type into the search engines.

Someone that gets to your site via a long search phrase is typically ready to pull the trigger on some type of purchase or action. We say that they are "late" in their buying cycle.

Typically, you'll find it easier to achieve a top ten ranking at the search engines for long tail keywords. By sprinkling them into your page copy, you are more likely to pull in traffic that converts at a higher rate. The downside is that long tail phrases will typically not generate the high traffic numbers of more general keywords. But remember, the more general keywords are much more competitive.

Let me give you an example of some long tail keywords. Suppose you own a website about family photography. Your site gives all kinds of information on taking great family photos. You could (and probably should) target very general keywords like the following:

family photography
photography tips
photo

Now there is certainly nothing wrong with targeting these types of keywords but, if you do, you'll be competing with the big names of the industry. You'll be very challenged to rank in the top ten for these general keywords.

Now let's look at a few possible long tail phrases that relate to the topic of family photography.

night time photography tips
eliminate blinking from photos
removing red eye from photos

Do you see how these keywords have the potential to deliver visitors with more specific needs in mind? Whether it's a purchase or simply a signup to your newsletter, you stand a much better chance of converting long tail visitors because they are looking for something more specific.

If you use an analytics package like Google Analytics, you'll actually be able to see the types of long tail keywords that people typed in to get to your site. While long tail keywords can make up 50% or more of your traffic, many of them will only be one-time traffic generators.

So then, is it possible to research and target long tail keywords when writing your web pages? The answer is 'yes' and 'no.'

First off, if you write good original content that is genuinely helpful to your target market, you'll automatically weave in long tail keywords without even trying. As your page content grows, visitors will get to your site through more and more of these long tail phrases. In other words, the tail will grow longer and longer. In fact, you'll find visitors getting to your site using search phrases that you would have never thought of yourself. This is the value of focusing each of your content pages on a specific topic that provides valuable information to a narrow target audience.

Three Easy Steps to Using the Long Tail

Step 1: Use a good keyword research tool. Yes, I know, the Google Adwords Keyword Tool is free, but if your serious about building a website that generates targeted traffic, you must invest in a good keyword research tool. If you own an SBI! Website, you already have one of the finest keyword research tools integrated into your subscription. For others, take a look at WordTracker, Keyword Discovery or WordZe.

Step 2: Once you select your main keyword for a content page, use that main keyword as the seed for a new keyword search. If your keyword research tool has a synonym function, make sure this is checked. Your goal is to find 2-3 long tail keywords that have little competition but can still drive decent traffic.

Step 3: Use your main keyword at a 3-5% density as you write your page content. In addition, you want to also sprinkle your long tail keywords within your body copy. This will help support the main keyword and bring in additional targeted traffic. You will stand a decent chance of ranking high in the search engines for these keyword phrases.

If you need more information about the use of keywords in your web pages, please read my article Determining Keywords for Your Pages.

Ultimately, you want to write a page that is based on a specific high-profitability keyword (using your keyword research tool) while blending in several synonyms and multi-word long tail phrases.

Do not spend large amounts of time researching long tail keywords. The idea is to quickly check for any longer phrases that are related to your main page keyword and can help drive traffic and get you ranked for the phrase in the search engines. One easy way to do this is to check your web analytics logs for keyword phrases people are using to get to your site. If you find some that seem to consistently drive traffic, think about writing a specific content page around that long tail phrase.

In reality, you can't get away from the long tail even if you try. But, by being a bit more proactive, you can use this natural phenomenon to your advantage. And remember, even if you aren't proactive, you will do it automatically by writing compelling original content with your visitor in mind.

Here's to the long tail!