Last Updated on April 4, 2023
In today’s world of online marketing, producing content has become the main focal point for everyone in the game of spreading the word about their brand. Whether it’s freelance professionals or businesses both small and large, content marketing has proven to be a very effective weapon for marketers everywhere.
On the other hand, we now have a situation where everyone is contributing to an already enormous ocean of information on a daily basis. And there are no indications that the process of piling on will ever slow down any time soon.
Some might take a stance that we’re needlessly polluting the web with content and that most of it won’t amount to anything other than “adding to the noise”.
It is true that people have a limited amount of time, energy and attention to offer and it’s pretty clear why getting the highest page ranking possible is so valuable and important for today’s businesses. Studies suggest that 67% of all click on the SERPs are reserved for the top 5 listings.
In cases of such extreme competition, one thing is certain. If you want to be on top and stay there, you need to aim for the demanded standards of quality. Search engine algorithms are designed in a way which is supposed to bring the very “best” to the top.
Trying to figure out what “the best” in this scenario means is what SEO is all about. The main goal of Search Engine Optimization is to bring in more visitors while ensuring a higher ranking in terms of particular keywords.
Now, some competitors have the ability to pump large amounts of money into their campaigns which would give them a clear advantage over others.
A Solution Called Long-Tail SEO
However, not all search engine queries resort to using only a word or two. In fact, most of them are made by using a combination of several words or are in fact whole phrases. The longer versions of keywords are more commonly known as long-tail keywords and they just might be a game changer for your content marketing strategy.
The name long-tail comes from the fact that these keywords are located on the end of the search demand curve. In total, their numbers account for around 70% of searches performed each month but among themselves, they differ vastly and are very specific.
This specificity accounts for their low search volume, low competition and most importantly – high conversion rates. To put it in another way, these phrases don’t have many monthly searches connected to them, it’s easier to achieve higher ranking for them and they are more likely to lead to a purchase of what you’re trying to sell.
Picking the Right Long-Tail Keyword
The main point of distinction that should help you decide whether a long-tail keyword is useful for your strategy or not is buyers intent. Is their readiness for purchase instilled in the phrasing of their query?
Let’s say, for example, that you are in the business of selling telescopes. The most obvious example of a relevant keyword for your content marketing campaign would be “where can I buy a telescope near me” or something like “small telescopes for sale”.
It’s not that difficult to understand why this person would be more likely to buy your product than someone who typed in “how to use a telescope”. Even though both of them are interested in telescopes, the first one practically has their hand on their wallet meaning you stand to gain more from targeting them specifically.
The example provided is very direct but often buyers intent in a query will be a lot less obvious. You’ll need to try and put yourself in the position of a person typing in the words and determine what are the chances of them actually buying your product or service.
Still, even though some long-tail keywords might not be as direct, you could benefit a whole lot from including them in your content. For some businesses, a marketing strategy might be more focused on creating a community rather than just making direct sales and in those cases it’s worth exploring every option.
A good rule of thumb when deciding on which long-tail keywords you should use is to ask yourself if a person searching for this phrase would actually benefit from and welcome hearing about your product or service.
How to Research Long-Tail Keywords?
There are certain do’s and don’ts of writing website content and utilizing a long-tail SEO strategy will build on those preexisting notions to some extent. The first thing you need to learn is how to research these particular keywords and there are many different possible ways for doing just that.
Google provides you with an array of options. You can use the “Searches related to…” section on the bottom of your Google Search page or use the suggestions shown while you’re typing the text into the search bar to gain valuable information.
Some of the more advanced methods would involve using a Google Keywords Planner. It provides you with an extensive list of suggestions of long-tail phrases along with some information regarding the competition and the volume of each keyword.
Finally, if you’re looking to make further investments into your content marketing endeavors, Ahrefs and SEMrush are definitely two platforms you should consider.
There are other useful apps that can help you look at things from a different or a broader perspective and you can click here for an extensive overview.
Final Thoughts
Once you’ve prepared a list of your most relevant long-tail keywords, it’s time to develop and create your content around them. It might seem intuitive to think that this approach will feel limiting for your blog post and article writing but restrictions can be a very fruitful context for creativity.
As you start to apply long-tail SEO to your blog, don’t forget to periodically check on your rankings and adjust your strategy accordingly. This type of feedback will guide you further on the road of reaching a more relevant audience with a more şpecific version of your freshly shaped content.
