10 Tips to Capitalize on Long-tail Keywords to Optimize Content

What are long-tail keywords?

If you are new to SEO, then you’re probably wondering what in the world are long-tail keywords? Put simply, long-tail keywords, as the term suggests are longer keywords that tend to receive less search traffic but possess a higher conversion value since they are explicitly defined. Long-tail keywords account for almost 70% of all web searches. Google focuses on long-tail keywords and so should you! First things first, implementing long-tails will not get you in the top 10 search results, but they will get you what you need, which is targeted traffic that leads to engagement, and of course, sales.

If it doesn’t make any sense yet, let us paint the picture for you: if you’re a micro-enterprise that sells ice cream, there is a low chance that your page will never appear at the top of an organic search due to competition. Let’s say you specialize in gluten-free ice cream and use long-tail keywords such as ‘traditional gluten-free ice cream’ instead of ‘ice cream’, you are going to attract potential customers cause they are the ones who are actively seeking your product. Through the use of keywords that differentiates you from your competitors, you can acquire consumers who are on the lookout for exactly what you have to offer.

The chief benefit of using long-tail keywords is although you might pull in less traffic, you will score a higher ROI. Hence, the audience that you will attract will be more interested in closing sales. Long-tail keywords disrupt competition and since competition is less intense for long-tailed keywords, the cost per click is also significantly lower. To find out some of the most prevalent keywords, you can try WordStream where you simply have to register for free to use the tool.

Take-away:

Capitalizing on long-tail keywords might be read as slower traffic but it also signifies that your audience is specifically looking for what you have to offer. While everyone else is busy trying to rank for well-known keywords, you can score a higher conversion rate with lower competition through long-tail keywords. This ultimately leads to boosting your content which leads to conversion and loyal customers.

1. The challenge

Competition is often what leads you to miss out on traffic. While you may think that your content is similar to any other in your niche, the key to success is to find out what makes your content different from the rest? It might be the style, the conversational tone, the clear structure, your good sense of humour, it might be just anything that you consider banal but is crucial for optimizing content! Broad keywords are great but long-tail keywords are better and catch genuine attention. If a potential customer found you it means that they were looking for you. Attracting intent-driven customers should be top of your priority list.

Blogs usually have a focus topic known as the main keyword, for instance, it can be travelling or lifestyle. Chances are that all your content is travel or lifestyle-related. The theme of your content should be the keyword that drives traffic to your site. To make it more specific or unique, think about what exactly is your speciality? It might be travelling on a budget, and this is chiefly what you should be emphasising in your long-tail keywords. Trust us, it makes a whole lotta difference. Don’t know whether you need to re-evaluate your content? Use a Beta test to check where your content strategy stands and why your competitors have a better ROI.

2. So, what does it mean for content marketers?

1.  Assume that your audience is educated on the subject to a certain extent.
2. You will need to create a content strategy that aligns with your new tactic i.e. using your long-tail keywords throughout your content These keywords should be at least three words or longer. Yet, if it is a renowned brand such as Nike, a single word will suffice. The point is these words help develop equity content which furthers brand reputation.
3.  Use new leads to generate high-converting content. Targeted terms will get you a better standing in search results. Analysing your long-tail keywords will aid you to understand the search intent of your audience which in turn, will enable you to develop the right customer insights and better your content marketing strategy. The aim is to predict your audience’s intent to better cater to their needs.

Confused? Read this article on Generating High Quality Leads with Content Marketing to clear your doubts.

3. Where do you stand?

To understand whether you need to upgrade your content marketing strategy, try to put yourself in your customer’s shoes and ask yourself the following:

• Can I provide relevant answers to my audience’s inquiries?
• Why did they prefer my website?
• Why would they want our product?
• And what can they learn about our products to improve their experience?

These simple questions can help you in creating high-quality content which in turn, as we repeatedly mentioned turn your audience into potential customers.

4. So, where to start?

Leverage your specific knowledge of the industry to make the most of new and innovative tools to show that you are reliable. Clearly defining your mission and product will enable you to set the right long-tail keyword strategy. Firstly, always make sure that your content is relevant and long enough. If you think no one will read an in-depth article, you are wrong. You can maximise traffic by sticking to 1890 words. The longer, the better and the higher your conversion rate.  Structuring your content makes it easy for users to navigate. More on SE0 tactics that work here.

Use optimized content to create an efficient communication strategy with your audience. If this sounds complicated, use content type templates to better allocate tasks within your team. This allows you to stick to a pattern and remain consistent vis a vis your audience.

5. How Do I Create and Implement My New Keyword Strategy?

3 Steps of Keyword Research:

• Research
• Analyse
• Use

To start with, you need to get a list of the long-tail keywords that you rank for. Simply go to your Search Console, then Search Analytics and download your traffic analysis. (clicks, impression and position) Repeat the process for your Pay-Per-Click campaigns, Facebook page, Instagram and so on. Once you have a list of keywords, use Google for suggestions for the most useful long-tail keywords. And there you have it! A list of search suggestions. Moreover, you can add related suggestions typically at the bottom of the page to get a broader list of long tails.

You can also use Answer The Public, an easy tool to use, to find related questions to your keywords.

Wondering how to polish long-tail keywords? Prepare a list of seed keywords and utilize a keyword mixer for generating long-tails. Create a list of long-tails.

6. Trim that list!

So, you made a list of long-tails related to your niche. Tedious, right? Utilize a keyword grouper for grouping words and building clusters so that you can skip this step next time. Using the keyword mixer will guarantee that you are not omitting any potential long-tails.

Now that you have that list, what next? Get rid of anything that doesn’t click with your audience’s intent. Stick to only the best long-tails.

Once you have it, optimize your content by using this list throughout your content.

7. How to Use Long-tails to Optimize Content?

Decide how many long-tails you’re targeting and whether topics intersect. According to most experts, the best is to stick to a dedicated page per long-tail which also means you will have to produce a lot of content…which is not always easy.

Worried?

We’ve got you covered!

It is best to break down your list and organise it according to searcher intent. For example, let’s say you wish to target keywords about ‘’running shoes’’ your list should be resembling something like this:

This is a simple yet valuable way to sort your keywords by topic which will allow you to use them throughout your content in a natural way. It also equips you with new ideas for your future content. Remember to include internal links as you publish new content. This is a great method to link the dots for your reader. It essentially gives a more all-inclusive perspective of your product and services. You can use up to 15 internal links within a 2,000-word piece. More on it here.

8.Think of Semantic Variations

Think of the possible semantic variations. Google is one of the companies that utilize a semantic search engine. For example, you are writing on ‘how to make money from home,’ try including variations such as ‘how to make a living from home,’ or ‘how to earn working from home.’

Refrain from restricting your long-tail vocab to a few possibilities, think of all the semantic variations possible without going nuts. This is a great way to focus exactly on what you wish to offer to your audience.

9. Creating Content to Increase Your Value

Okay, now that you have mastered the knowledge of long-tail keywords, what follows? The next thing is developing strong, in-depth content that allows your audience to hear your voice. Blogging about your niche is a great means to acquire loyal customers. By showing your expertise you communicate your unique selling point (USP) which enables your conscious audience to learn how it can benefit from your product. Your content should revolve around your unique value proposition (UVP).

Find your Unique Value Proposition and build your keyword research based on it.

Creating a consumer persona can help you optimize your content. You will discover your customer’s needs and use the long-tail keywords that will eventually make your content strategy more lucrative. If you wish to aim even higher, we’d suggest re-evaluating your content strategy to improve your ROI.

Tips on Using Long-tails.

• Headlines

Use a killer headline or title employing one of your long-tails. Keep the headline clear and short and try implementing the keyword in the first half of your title.

• Tags

Include your newfound targeted keywords in your tags. Need we say more?

• Images

Infographics, images and videos make your content a lot more engaging. For instance, using a related meme, not only adds humour but also makes your content livelier and prevents it from being monotonous. Use your long-tail keywords for captions and even alt text of your images can improve your rank in image searches, which will draw traffic to your website. It’s always best to use copyright-free images which you can find on Pixabay or any other website.

• Internal and External Linking

Use one of your long tails as an anchor text to link to a page with similar content. It not only shows that you are not interested in selling your product but also provides further insight into your topic. Bonus points for credibility!

10. How Much Content is Enough?

Let’s take a good look at this article. Let’s say our keyword is long-tail keywords. We’ve used the targeted term 24 times throughout this article. Seems repetitive? For an academic essay maybe but not for long-form content that’s aspiring to recommend its products. If we used the keyword in every single sentence, the reader (YOU!) would feel like he is being spammed! By utilizing keywords through the adoption of a contextual approach, the content feels a lot more organic.

And guess what, we’ll rank for all other keywords as well. Splendid, right?

Final thoughts……Don’t Skip out on long-tail keywords!

Are you ready to step up in your inbound game and become a content champion?

Researching keywords is time-consuming but pays off. Sure, you might notice less traffic but you’ll get a better, more engaged audience much faster. Using social media platforms other than your blog keeps your audience hooked; it is a reminder of your presence in the industry and should at all costs, be capitalized. Once more, don’t overlook your long-tails! The key is to use them numerous times throughout your content without making it sound like a salesperson. Plus, you can always try variations of your long-tails. If you’re not using these yet, you’re likely missing out on leads and lifetime customers.

Have you used long- tail keywords? What are your tricks and tips? Let us know in the comments!