Keywords help your website compete in search engine results pages and are displayed in front of your competition when a user is searching for a service or product you offer.
But using them is not enough for a good content strategy. That is why today we are going to discuss 4 benefits of long-tail keywords in your SEO strategy.
What are long-tail keywords?
These are highly specific search phrases that give the searcher intent. They often have low search volume, low competition, and high conversion rates.
These are also called long-tail keywords because if you were to plot your terms by their search volumes, they would be at the “long tail” end of the curve. This means that only a few people search for these terms each month.
Although there is a low search volume, they are easier to rank for and result in higher conversions compared to other terms. Long-tail keywords are better at communicating a clear message to the customer’s needs.
Your customer may be looking for more information about what your company offers. Long-tail phrases are usually around three words long due to their precision.
4 benefits of using long-tail keywords in your SEO strategy
Google’s algorithms are constantly changing to ensure a better user experience. Therefore, you should stay up to date to know how your site will perform in the face of these updates.
You should balance your main keywords with some long-tail ones, as it is important to have a very specific intent. Their power will significantly increase your business’s search engine optimization and bring more attention to your website.
Here are six reasons why these types of terms can benefit your SEO strategy:
1. You will have less competition
If you manage to rank for them, they will help your website rank better compared to using short-tail keywords. People in similar industries are always trying to rank for short-tail keywords.
They also have a lower search volume, so by using them in your content, you will be shown in all related niche searches. You will help your audience find exactly what you offer on your website.
2. Your website will appear in the snippets
Featured Snippets are answers that Google offers to the user after a search performed on the search engine. The summary of the answer is displayed in a special block located at the top of the SERP and is extracted from a specific web page.
This will help users find what they are looking for, without having to go into any article or link. Snippets are a great time saver. If you use long-tail keywords, you will increase your chances of appearing in these snippets.
3. They make you a stronger competitor
Not everyone in a business similar to yours knows that using them can help websites get more traffic. Competition is high when it comes to short-tail keywords, and if you’re using long-tail keywords, you’ll eliminate the chances of competing with thousands of other businesses.
Long-tail keywords will also give your customers information about your business or what products and/or services you offer. You can use this knowledge to introduce highly qualified leads into your sales funnel and complement your content marketing efforts.
4. They help you optimize semantic, conversational and voice search
Voice search has grown a lot in recent years. People who use voice search do not use head-tail or mid-tail keywords when searching. Instead, they are using multiple terms in a single search, while finding answers to exact questions.
For example, users searching for solutions like “How to lose weight” won’t say “Alexa, lose weight.” They’ll say “Alexa, how can I lose weight in two weeks?” Having a long-tail keyword in your content will improve your chances of ranking for specific queries like this.
How to use long-tail keywords in your SEO strategy?
Organic traffic is the main benefit when using these terms. According to Accelerate Agency, around 70% of traffic comes from keywords with very specific search intent. Here are some ways you can use long-tail phrases to improve your SEO structure:
Create competent content
Writing content of around 2000 words can help improve your search engine rankings. Focus on using one or two multi-word keywords in each piece of content to avoid penalties and low rankings.
Content around 2000 words is much more engaging and shareable compared to shorter pieces of content.
Keywords in headings and meta description
Incorporate high-traffic, low-difficulty keywords into your headings and meta description. No matter what type of content you’re using, remember to include the key phrases in your social media posts, blogs, or forums. It will help you rank higher, especially if you have an interesting title or meta description. Additionally, it will help improve your website’s ranking, engagement, and get more organic traffic.
Keywords in subtitles
Remember these guidelines when using subtitles for your content:
- Use different heading sizes (H2, H3) to boost your SEO efforts.
- Avoid “keyword stuffing” by using synonyms for words that have the same meaning.
- Select subtitles that relate to your titles, topic, and overall content.
They don’t always have to have a lot of words
One of the most important keys to knowing how to use them is to understand how to use them. A keyword has a certain amount of specificity, which can increase according to a specific search. A long-tail keyword, although it has a very high specificity, can be expressed in 3 words. Example: how to repair hearing aids? It is true that it can be a mid-tail keyword, but it is ideal for use in a blog about hearing aids. Although you can be more specific, by adding a brand or a type of these.
Always consider how specific a search is, as well as the informational or transactional intent of the keyword. This will also give you very relevant information when it comes to knowing where to place, as well as how to use that keyword within your website, or within your social networks.
Track your long-tail keywords
Make it a routine to track the profitability, ranking, lifetime value, and conversion of your keywords. It will help you pay attention to the terms that need to be optimized so that they can help your website maintain its top rankings.
One way to track your rankings for these types of phrases is to search on Google. Open a tab and scroll down the pages until you find your post. Additionally, you can use free tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, Semrush, Dyno Mapper, and SEO Profiler to track terms much more generally.
Make it sound natural
Most phrases with high specificity can sound unnatural when used in posts or other types of content. Google can easily see if you’re just stuffing your keyword into the text, which can cause a penalty down the road.
A good idea is to use synonyms for words with almost the same idea. Look at the content as if you were talking to another person. Sentences should flow nicely and not as if keywords were introduced into the text.
Conclusion
Nowadays, targeting highly specific keywords is crucial to your SEO strategy. There is no doubt that they offer several benefits; they give you higher rankings in search engines and more organic traffic that is perfect for your website content. This is essential if you want to improve your business.
Using long-tail keywords can be really effective, as long as you know your target audience, use low-competition keyword phrases, and integrate them into your content, using links to track and measure results.
