Search engine optimization is a priority for business now that everyone lives on the internet.
But while SEO is a mission-critical process, one component is often overlooked: a long-tail keyword strategy.
A long-tail keyword is a short phrase of three to four words that are extremely specific to the product or service being sold. Examples might include “Scottish cuisine cookbook,” “1,000-watt portable generator” or “small business accounting software.”
Long-tail keywords build on shorter keywords such as “cookbook” or “portable generator.” Adding words to the more general phrase enables users to home in on the exact topic they are searching for. The more specific the phrase is, the more exact the search results will be.
Moreover, when a business’ webpage shows up in such a search, there are fewer competing results, as long-tail keywords get fewer hits than more generic ones.
When implementing a strong long-tail keyword strategy, you should follow these important steps.
Make a list of the long-tail keywords that already surface in content. Businesses can verify their list by checking Google Search Console>Search Traffic>Search Analytics
Enter each long-tail keyword into a Google browser window and then review Google’s “related search” prompts, selecting those results that work best and testing them along the way.
Need more in-depth instruction about finding a log-tail keyword?
This video from SEMrush can help you refine your searches.
Create new long-tail keywords by listing the relevant standalone words that describe the content, entering them into the Google search engine and taking note of Google’s auto-complete suggestions. Choose keywords that match your purpose.
Once businesses have a refined the list, tag your content with these long-tail keywords. This can be done within the web content management system used by the organization.
Repeat each of the above steps for Bing and other search engines.
Long-tail keyword searches are much more likely to achieve a higher sales conversion rate than generic searches with less-focused keywords. To achieve peak SEO, businesses should use a long-tail keyword strategy at every opportunity.