
In business, as in life, details often make all the difference. Indeed, the success of any large undertaking is dependent on professionals performing many small actions well. With that in mind, today we’re going to focus on long-tail keywords. Some might not recognize the value of long-tail keywords. Yet, the reality is that they can ultimately play a large role in how businesses build marketing campaigns, earn customer trust, and close sales. Here’s everything you need to know about ranking for lucrative long-tail keywords:
What Are Long-Tail Keywords?
Keywords play a major role in search engine optimization (SEO), Most marketing pros already know this. In general, keywords are one or two words that relate to a business’s product or service. So, for instance, a company like Harley Davidson will want to rank for the keyword “motorcycle” when consumers search that term on Google.
Long-tail keywords, as opposed to “regular” keywords are longer, more specific variants. A few examples of long-tail keywords include: “health insurance for freelancers,” “STD tests near me,” and “dental office interior design.” As one might imagine, long-tail keywords can refer to any number of topics or concepts.
Why Are Long-Tail Keywords Valuable?
At first blush, business owners may be tempted to ignore long-tail keywords because they attract fewer visitors and less traffic than more generic terms. However, long-tail keywords are valuable because there’s typically much less competition around them. As such, small businesses can use long-tail keywords to rank for lucrative search terms and generate qualified leads in an efficient, cost-effective manner.
How to Rank for Long-Tail Keywords
The most difficult part of ranking for long-tail keywords is identifying them in the first place. It’s important to remember that long-tail keywords are only valuable if there is some search traffic surrounding them. So while a business may be able to easily rank for very obscure terms, if no one is searching for them, that business won’t receive any positive exposure as a result. In addition, companies should only pursue long-tail keywords that are relevant to their business, industry, or customer base. Just because you can rank for a term, doesn’t mean you should.
Once a company determines which long-tail keywords they want to pursue, the next logical step is to create content that highlights those keywords. Note, make sure to include those keywords within optimization tools and meta descriptions on your website.
Finally, companies can bolster their chances of ranking for long-tail keywords by linking and backlinking between relevant blog posts and web pages. Some businesses may even choose to combine several related posts into one larger pillar page as well.
Final Thoughts
Long-tail keywords provide great benefit to small and growing businesses because they allow companies the chance to enter niche markets and gain meaningful site traffic!