Boosting Your Website’s SEO: How to Use Long-Tail Keywords

Climbing to the top of search rankings involves a bit of strategy, and sometimes short keywords simply won’t cut it. With such a wealth of competition, long-tail keywords become a more effective option to propel where you land in search engine results.

The average conversion rate for a long-tail keyword is 36%. Most internet users do, after all, search with a phrase, even if it’s not always grammatically correct.

If you want to drive your targeted traffic to your content then using these specified phrases in your SEO tactics can significantly improve online visibility.

Today, we’ll talk you through how it works and help you boost your presence.

What is a Long-Tail Keyword?

As the name suggests, long-tail keywords function like a keyword but are longer, typically phrases.

When a consumer is generally searching or showing interest, they might just use a keyword, but a serious consumer looking to purchase goods or services will likely be more specific about what they are looking for.

This is where consumer analysis can help businesses understand the intent behind different search behaviors and refine their strategies to align with consumer needs.

For example, instead of searching for “boots,” someone might search for “waterproof hiking boots for wide feet.” If you have that phrase in your content, you will outrank those who don’t.

The Importance of Long-Tail Keywords

Because a long-tail keyword is very specific, it doesn’t generate high volumes of traffic, but it does land a more targeted view. This lowers the competition, giving your site a spotlight.

Around 14% of all keywords are phrased as a question if you can slip these questions into your content, perhaps in the form of an FAQ, then you substantially elevate the chances of directing valuable visitors to your website.

Finding Long-Tail Keywords

So now that you know the importance of long-tail keywords you are going to want to know how to find the ones relevant to your website, goods, and services.

Using Keyword Research Tools for Competitor Analysis

Your first port of call should be competitor analysis, you can explore their top keywords with tools like Ahrefs, Google Keyword Planner, and SEMrush. Each gives a good insight into long-tail keywords relevant to your industry.

The idea is not to copy but rather to look for the gaps if you can leverage what they are missing you will outrank them every time.

Get Googling

It might sound super simple, but searching keywords in a Google search bar prompts Google’s autocomplete feature.

The feature functions by suggesting phrases other users have recently or frequently entered surrounding the word you have typed.

This gives you real-time insight into what other users are actively searching for. With the boots example we used above simply typing boots as a broad search term will bring up several suggestions that could make good long-tail keywords.

Ways to Implement Long-Tail Keywords

You don’t want your newly-found long-tail keywords to seem out of place, they must naturally flow with the rest of the text. Below are some ways you can use them strategically across your website.

Blog Posts Optimization

The best place for long-tail keywords is in larger bodies of text where they don’t stick out like a sore thumb.

Blog posts are ideal especially if they are delivered with a chatty friendly tone of voice because it allows you to use some of the more colloquial terms that users might use.

You can tailor your blog content specifically to a phrase as a subject, place them as titles and headings, or insert questions in FAQ sections.

Product Description Updates

Long-tail keywords work exceptionally well, inserted into product descriptions on e-commerce sites. They help your products appear in specific searches which are generally used by more serious buyers.

Now that you know how long-til keywords work, update your product descriptions.

Meta Descriptions Improvements

Another overlooked place to use long-tail keywords is in the Tags and Meta descriptions of your content. Placing these phrases in your meta description can improve your click-through rate (CTR) it essentially tells Google your page is relevant for that specific search.

Combinational SEO Strategies

To make your long-tail keyword more effective, you will need to pair it with other SEO tactics. The following two tips are also paramount.

Mobile Optimization

There are more and more mobile internet users every day, and Google has implemented a mobile-first indexing system that filters out content that is unfit for mobile display and for those searching from their phones.

If your site isn’t optimized for mobile visitors, then you disappear from the search results altogether, regardless of your long-tail keywords being a perfect inquiry match.

Keep Things Fast and Secure

Search engines prioritize sites with good page load speeds, so make sure your site is optimized and running smoothly. They also favor secure sites with HTTPS URLs.

Though not an SEO-related tool, a good VPN can help keep data secure, and it is a good idea for sites remotely accessed by content creators and sites dealing with sensitive customer data. Click here to compare the best VPNs.

Conclusion

While they generate less traffic, long-tail keywords generate the right traffic. As they are more specific, you will guide specific visitors, namely those interested in your precise goods or services.

This makes them a very powerful SEO tool that can boost your rankings and CTR considerably, leveling out the playing field.

With the right SEO tools and the correct implementation, these phrases propel your site content and put you in a better position than your competitors.