Long Tail Keywords in SEO: What Are They & How to Use them?

Intro

Have you ever felt like your SEO efforts are just a drop in the ocean of generic search terms? Tired of blending in with the crowd?

It's time to learn the secret of the SEO elite: long tail keywords.

These longer and specific phrases will not only make you unique but also drive more traffic to your website.

In this article, we will take a deep dive into the world of long tail keywords, discussing how to research and find them, how to use them in your SEO strategy and how to measure their success.

We'll talk about techniques such as analyzing search intent and user language, utilizing question-based keywords and utilizing tools such as Ranktracker to automate keyword research.

We will also cover building internal and external links with keywords, optimizing for voice search and local SEO, and how to identify and adjust under-performing keywords.

Let’s start with the basics.

What are Long Tail Keywords?

Long tail keywords are phrases that are longer and more specific than short tail keywords. They usually consist of three or more words and are more descriptive in nature.

They are often more targeted and less competitive than short tail keywords, making them a great option for smaller businesses or niche markets.

An example of a short-tail keyword could be "coffee" as it's broad and not specific.

An example of a long-tail keyword could be "best coffee beans for cold brew" as it's specific and well-defined.

On the other hand, short tail keywords are typically just one or two words and are more general in nature. They are often highly competitive and can be more difficult to rank for.

In short, Long tail keywords are more specific and more targeted than short-tail keywords, and therefore generally easier to rank for, but less common and with less searches. Short-tail keywords are more broad and more competitive, but more common and with more search volume.

Researching Keywords Using SEO Tools

Analyzing search intent and user language is a crucial step in finding long tail keywords that will be effective for your SEO strategy. It involves understanding what people are searching for and why, as well as the language they are using to describe their needs and wants.

This can be done by researching and analyzing the search results for related keywords, as well as looking at user reviews and feedback on your own website and other relevant sites.

One way to tap into search intent and user language is by utilizing question-based keywords. These are keywords that are formed in the form of a question, such as "What is the best coffee brand?" These types of keywords are a great way to target specific user queries. These question based keywords are easy to target, because matching the language and intent of the searcher is quite apparent.

Once you have identified a list of long tail keywords, it's important to use them throughout your website in a natural way. This can include incorporating them into website content and meta tags, building internal and external links with keywords, and optimizing for voice search and local SEO. Just make sure you’re not forcing your keyword on your page. Readability and usability always come first. A readability checker will help you avoid this problem.

The best part is that you can automate your keyword research. You can use SEO automation software, such as Ranktracker. These tools allow you to easily track the ranking of your target keywords and quickly identify any new opportunities. For example, the Keyword Finder can help you find these long tail keyword opportunities and plan your content around them.

They also provide an easy way to compare your website's performance to that of your competitors, helping you to identify areas for improvement.

Including Long Tail Keywords

Building internal and external links with keywords is another important aspect of using long tail keywords for SEO. Internal links are links that point to pages within your own website, while external links are links that point to pages on other websites.

By including your long tail keywords in the link text (also known as anchor text), you can signal to search engines the relevance of the linked-to page to those keywords.

Long Tail Keywords for Voice Search

Voice search queries tend to be more conversational and natural in language, making long-tail keywords a good fit.

For example, a voice search query might be "Where can I find the best pizza delivery near me?" instead of simply typing "pizza delivery".

To optimize for voice search, it's important to include long-tail keywords in website content and meta tags, as well as building natural language schema markup to help search engines understand the context of the content on the site.

Additionally, it's important to ensure that the website is mobile-friendly and loads quickly, as many voice search queries are made on mobile devices.

Overall, by optimizing for long-tail keywords and focusing on natural language, businesses can improve their visibility in voice search results and reach customers who use this increasingly popular search method.

Long Tail Keywords for Local SEO

Long-tail keywords are more specific and targeted phrases that include location-based information. For example, instead of using the keyword "pizza", a long-tail keyword could be "best pizza delivery in Chicago".

This can be done by including location-based keywords in website content, meta tags, and page titles, as well as by building local backlinks and listing the business on relevant directories.

Additionally, it's important to optimize Google my business page, which helps to increase visibility in Google Maps. Overall, long-tail keyword optimization is a powerful strategy for local businesses to improve their online visibility and attract more customers.

Long Tail Keyword Tracking

Measuring the success of your long tail keyword strategy is essential to understanding how well your efforts are paying off.

This can include tracking rankings in SERPs using the SERP Checker by Ranktracker.

Other important metrics to track include organic traffic, conversion rates and user engagement. The outcome from analyzing this is to identify and adjust under-performing long tail keywords.

You can also use web analytics tools such as Google Analytics to get a better understanding of how users are interacting with your website, as well as which keywords drive the most conversions. All these will help you to fine-tune your SEO strategy and to make informed decisions about which long tail keywords to target in the future.

Tracking Rankings and Traffic

Analyzing conversion rates and user engagement is a key aspect of measuring the success of your long tail keyword strategy.

Conversion rate is the number of visitors to your website who take a desired action, such as making a purchase or filling out a form. It's a good indicator of how well your website is performing in terms of converting visitors into customers.

User engagement refers to how users interact with your website, such as how long they stay on the site, how many pages they visit, and whether they return to the site later. High user engagement is a good indicator that your website is providing valuable and relevant content to users.

If your conversion rates and user engagement metrics are low, it may be an indication that your long tail keywords are not effectively reaching your target audience.

Identifying under-performing keywords can help you to understand which keywords are not delivering the results you need and make necessary adjustments. This can include making changes to your website's content, meta tags and internal and external links, as well as reconsidering which long tail keywords to target.

Google Search Console and Google Analytics can show you how your website is performing on organic search, which keywords drive the most traffic, which pages get the most clicks and so on.

This information can help you identify under-performing keywords and make necessary adjustments to your website content and SEO strategy. By making changes and adjustments over time, you can continuously improve your website's performance and drive more qualified traffic to your site.

Key Takeaways for Long Tail Keywords in SEO

Long tail keywords are phrases that are longer and more specific than short tail keywords, and they can be a great way to boost your SEO and drive more traffic to your website.

These types of keywords are often less competitive, making them ideal for smaller businesses or niche markets. In this article, we discussed how to find long tail keywords by researching search intent and user language, utilizing question-based keywords, and using tools like Ranktracker to automate keyword research.

Once you have identified a list of long tail keywords, it's important to use them in a strategic way by incorporating them into website content and meta tags, building internal and external links, and optimizing for voice search and local SEO.

And don't forget to measure your success by tracking rankings and traffic, analyzing conversion rates and user engagement, and identifying and adjusting under-performing keywords.

With a little bit of research, a dash of creativity and a sprinkle of data analysis, you can give your SEO a sweet boost with long tail keywords!