Are you using long-tail keywords?

Heard of long-tail keywords, but not sure what they are, or why they’re good for SEO? Find out what they are and why you need to use them in your online content.

What are long-tail keywords?

Long-tail keywords are usually considered to be phrases of three to five words that people type into search engines to find what they are looking for. Any phrase of more than three words is generally considered to be a long-tail keyword.

Although the long-tail keyword is a phrase of more than one word, it usually focuses on one object. For example, a person may search for ‘trainers’, and enter this into a search engine. But they are more likely to specify the particular attributes of the trainers they are looking for by using more than one keyword term, for example: ‘women’s white trainers’. It’s possible browsers may get even more specific, and search, say, for ‘women’s white trainers size 6’, or, ‘women’s white and purple trainers’.

Why your content needs to include long-tail keywords

Whatever service or product your business is providing, it is not for everyone. You are likely to have a very specific audience for your products and services, therefore you need to use those long-tail keywords your audience are likely to use.

• Less competition 
  The more specific and relevant your long-tail keywords, the less competition, you’ll have in the search engine results pages (SERPs), but the browsers who do find you are more likely to be interested in what you have to offer. If you’re a mortgage broker, you’ll have less competition, the more specific your long-tail keywords are, for example, ‘mortgage for first-time buyers’, or ‘bad credit mortgages’ rather than the broad keyword, ‘mortgages’. 
   
• Increased success with voice searches 
  The increase in voice-activated searches, as we all become too lazy to even pick up our phones, means searches are spoken into search engines, rather than typed in. What tends to happen with voice searches is that they are less formal and more wordy – the way we would naturally speak. Long-tail keywords are more likely to pick up these voice searches, as they are longer, and more of a spoken format, for example, instead of ‘pizza delivery’ a voice search might be ‘pizza delivery after midnight’, or ‘veggie pizza delivery in Leeds’. 
   
• Increased conversions 
  This is essentially linked to less competition, in that that your long-tail keywords may not attract huge numbers of browsers compared to broader keywords, but the browsers they do attract are more likely to be interested. Less competition, but appealing to a narrower, more defined audience, means a higher conversion rate from the browsers you attract. 
   
• Increased CTR (Click Through Rate) 
  Along with increased conversions, comes increased click through rate, and possibly one of the most important SEO advantages of using long-tail keywords, as Google will reward you for how browsers interact with your search listing, once they’ve found it. As your long-tail keywords are likely to be more relevant than single keywords, browsers are more likely to click through to your website, therefore increasing your CTR, and therefore, in turn, your SEO. 

So now you know all about keywords, how could you use them in your content? Think specific, and the words most likely to be of interest to your ideal audience. If you need further help with your digital marketing, including defining long-tail keywords, get in touch!

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