LONG-TAIL
People often mistakenly assume the term “long-tail”refers to the number of words in a keyword phrase. This isn’t precisely the case. While it is true that long-tail keywords tend to have more words than other search queries, the term actually refers to a clear visual displayed on this this graph:
The long-tail is simply the search demand graph’s very long tail (the purple section indicating a large amount of unpopular search terms). Long-tail keywords are essentially more specific than header terms and tend to have lower search volume. Internet users search for them when they want to avoid general information.
In addition to adding more words, you can also add geo-specific keywords. Mobile accounts for more searches than desktop, and 82 percent of smartphone shoppers concudct local searches. Instead of searching for a header keyword like “photo booth rental” you may search for “photo booth rental nyc” to refine your search results and find more targeted search results like The Photo Factory.
Regardless is your focus is national or local there are several reasons it’s important to incorporate long-tail keywords into your SEO strategy. Granted, they have lower search volume than other types of keywords, but that can be to your advantage. The lack of competition makes it easier to optimize your ROI. In fact, one study of 1.9 billion keywords revealed that 92.42% only get 10 or fewer searches per month. As it turns out, low-volume, very specific searches tend to reflect how average people search the Internet.
Long-tail keywords are also more likely to reach people when they are ready to take some form of action. A person searching for “best fitness chains” may be conducting basic early research. However, if they are searching for “best boxing gym Brooklyn,” they are probably more inclined to sign up for a membership or make a purchase. That’s a major reason long-tail keywords are so valuable.
This isn’t mere speculation. Research indicates long-tail keywords may yield conversion rates that are 2.5 times higher than those associated with other keywords.
It’s also worth noting that long-tail keywords may provide additional benefits as search trends change. According to one survey, greater than 50% of consumers conducted voice search when seeking information about local businesses last year. That percentage is likely to get higher as voice assistants become more popular.
Long-tail keywords are ideal for voice search. That’s because they tend to correspond to the way people speak more naturally than header terms. This is a trend all SEO professionals should pay attention to in the future.
The body of the content is the best place to include long-tail keywords. That’s partially due to the fact that such terms can appear unnatural in headers. Their resemblance to conversational language tends to make them fit better within sentences.
Just make sure you don’t use long-tail keywords in pieces of content where they aren’t relevant. They should correspond to the content’s purpose. Your SEO will suffer in the long run if you try to trick users and algorithms into believing your blogs and videos cover topics they don’t actually directly relate to.
In fact, long-tail keywords can help you generate new ideas for content. Once you have a list of keyword phrases, you can use them to guide your content strategy. Want to rank for a long-tail keyword you found? You’ll need to produce content which gives you a reason to use it.
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