What are long-tail keywords?
Long-tail keywords are simply search terms that are more specific (and usually longer) than the more common, shorter keywords that people tend to use when they conduct a search. For example, instead of just using the keyword “shoes”, a long-tail keyword might be “women’s size 7 black leather pumps”.
How can long-tail keywords help your marketing strategy?
There are a few reasons why you might want to consider using long-tail keywords as part of your marketing strategy:
- They can be a more effective way to target your audience: because they are more specific, long-tail keywords are often a better way to target your audience than shorter, more general keywords. This is because people who use long-tail keywords are usually further along in the buying cycle and are therefore more likely to be ready to make a purchase.
- They can be less competitive: because they are more specific, long-tail keywords are often less competitive than shorter, more general keywords. This means that it can be easier to rank for long-tail keywords, and that you’re less likely to get lost in the sea of results for a more general keyword.
- They can be a good way to target local customers: if you’re a business that serves a specific geographic area, then using long-tail keywords that include your location can be a good way to target local customers.
What are the benefits of using long-tail keywords?
There are a few benefits of using long-tail keywords, which include:
- They can be a more effective way to target your audience: because they are more specific, long-tail keywords are often a better way to target your audience than shorter, more general keywords. This is because people who use long-tail keywords are usually further along in the buying cycle and are therefore more likely to be ready to make a purchase.
- They can be less competitive: because they are more specific, long-tail keywords are often less competitive than shorter, more general keywords. This means that it can be easier to rank for long-tail keywords, and that you’re less likely to get lost in the sea of results for a more general keyword.
- They can be a good way to target local customers: if you’re a business that serves a specific geographic area, then using long-tail keywords that include your location can be a good way to target local customers.
How to find the right long-tail keywords for your business
There are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when you’re trying to find the right long-tail keywords for your business:
- Think about what your customers are looking for: one of the best ways to come up with long-tail keywords is to simply think about what your customers might be looking for. What are they searching for? What are their pain points? What are they trying to accomplish?
- Use keyword research tools: there are a number of different keyword research tools available that can help you to brainstorm long-tail keywords. Some of the most popular include Google Keyword Planner, Wordtracker, and Keyword Discovery.
- Look at your competitors: another good way to come up with long-tail keywords is to look at what your competitors are using. This can give you some ideas of what keywords you might want to target.
How to use long-tail keywords in your marketing campaigns
Once you’ve identified some potential long-tail keywords, there are a few things you can do to start incorporating them into your marketing campaigns:
- Include them in your website content: one of the best ways to use long-tail keywords is to simply include them in your website content. This means using them in your blog posts, on your product pages, in your meta tags, etc.
- Use them in your PPC campaigns: another good way to use long-tail keywords is to target them with your pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns. This can be a great way to get your website in front of people who are already searching for the products or services that you offer.
- Use them in your email marketing: you can also use long-tail keywords in your email marketing campaigns. This means including them in your subject lines, in your email content, and even in your “from” line.
The dos and don’ts of long-tail keyword usage
Here are a few dos and don’ts to keep in mind when you’re using long-tail keywords:
- Do use them in your website content: one of the best ways to use long-tail keywords is to simply include them in your website content. This means using them in your blog posts, on your product pages, in your meta tags, etc.
- Do use them in your PPC campaigns: another good way to use long-tail keywords is to target them with your pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns. This can be a great way to get your website in front of people who are already searching for the products or services that you offer.
- Do use them in your email marketing: you can also use long-tail keywords in your email marketing campaigns. This means including them in your subject lines, in your email content, and even in your “from” line.
- Don’t use them too much: while long-tail keywords can be a great way to improve your marketing campaigns, you don’t want to overdo it. Using too many long-tail keywords can come across as spammy and could actually hurt your chances of ranking in the search results.
- Don’t use them if they don’t make sense: another thing to keep in mind is that you don’t want to use long-tail keywords just for the sake of using them. If they don’t make sense for your business or your campaign, then don’t use them. Stick with shorter, more general keywords instead.
Case studies: businesses that have used long-tail keywords successfully
Here are a few case studies of businesses that have used long-tail keywords successfully:
- SEMrush: This case study from SEMrush shows how they were able to increase their traffic by targeting long-tail keywords.
- Wordstream: This case study from Wordstream shows how they were able to increase their conversion rate by targeting long-tail keywords.
- Hubspot: This case study from Hubspot shows how they were able to increase their conversion rate by targeting long-tail keywords.