What is Long-Tail SEO?
Long-tail SEO is a search engine optimization (SEO) technique that is used to increase a websites’ organic search ranking by targeting specific, long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords are low competition, highly specific keywords that are less common than general, head keywords.
While head keywords are searched more often, they are also much more competitive. This is because there are many more websites vying for the top spot in Google’s search results for these keywords. On the other hand, long-tail keywords are searched far less often, but they are much easier to rank for.
In this article, we’ll take a closer look at what long-tail SEO is, how it can benefit your website, and how you can start implementing it.
What are the Benefits of Long-Tail SEO?
There are several benefits of using long-tail SEO keywords on your website:
- They are less competitive and easier to rank for
- They are more specific, so they tend to convert better
- They allow you to target a wider range of keywords
- They are cheaper to bid on for paid search
Let’s take a closer look at each of these benefits.
Long-Tail SEO is Less Competitive
As we mentioned earlier, head keywords are much more competitive than long-tail keywords. This is because there are many more websites trying to rank for head keywords. If you’re a small business or just starting out, you’ll likely have a difficult time ranking for head keywords.
On the other hand, long-tail keywords are much less competitive. This is because they are more specific and there are fewer websites trying to rank for them. If you’re just starting out, you’ll have a much easier time ranking for long-tail keywords.
Long-Tail SEO Keywords Convert Better
Long-tail keywords are more specific than head keywords. This means that they tend to convert better than head keywords.
Think about it this way: someone who searches for “shoes” is likely just browsing. They’re not necessarily looking to buy a pair of shoes. On the other hand, someone who searches for “women’s size 10 black dress shoes” is much more likely to be ready to buy.
This is why long-tail keywords tend to convert better than head keywords. They’re much more specific, so the people who search for them are usually further along in the buying cycle.
Long-Tail SEO Allows You to Target a Wider Range of Keywords
If you’re only targeting head keywords, you’re missing out on a lot of potential traffic. This is because head keywords make up a small portion of all searches. Most searches are actually long-tail keywords.
By targeting long-tail keywords, you’ll be able to target a wider range of keywords and get more traffic to your website.
Long-Tail SEO is Cheaper
If you’re planning on using paid search to drive traffic to your website, long-tail keywords are going to be much cheaper than head keywords. This is because they’re less competitive and there’s less demand for them.
For example, let’s say you want to bid on the keyword “shoes.” This is a head keyword with a lot of competition. You’ll likely have to pay a lot for this keyword. On the other hand, let’s say you want to bid on the keyword “women’s size 10 black dress shoes.” This is a long-tail keyword with less competition. You’ll likely be able to get this keyword for a lot less.
How to Implement Long-Tail SEO
Now that you know what long-tail SEO is and the benefits of using it, you’re probably wondering how you can start implementing it. Here are a few tips:
- Identify your target market: The first step is to identify your target market. Who are you trying to reach? What are their needs? What are their interests?
- Identify your target keywords: Once you know your target market, you can start identifying target keywords. These are the keywords that you want to rank for. Use a keyword research tool like Google Keyword Planner to help you find long-tail keywords that are relevant to your business.
- Optimize your website: Once you have a list of target keywords, you need to start optimizing your website for these keywords. This means adding these keywords to your website’s title tags, meta tags, header tags, etc. You can also add these keywords to your website’s content. Just make sure you don’t overdo it. Google will penalize you if you stuff your keywords.
- Build links: One of the most important ranking factors for Google is links. The more links you have pointing to your website, the higher your website will rank. There are a number of ways to build links. You can submit your website to directories, write guest posts for other blogs, and participate in forums.
If you follow these tips, you’ll be well on your way to implementing long-tail SEO on your website.