Have you ever wondered why some queries return better search results than others while surfing through a browser? Even if you haven’t given this much thought due to the omnipresence of technology and the ease of scraping the internet, you must’ve been taught to improve your search queries at some point. For people across ages, computers and the internet would’ve been introduced to them at different stages in life. And when that must’ve happened, someone usually guides the amateur user on how to make the most of the technology at hand. That’s probably when you were introduced to the subtle art of ‘asking Google.’

So, keywords are basically the words we use to search for ideas, products, and services on a web browser. But that umbrella term does not tell us the entire picture. These keywords have certain characteristics depending on which the websites rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). Now, using a single word such as shoes could display numerous results without specification. This might do the trick for you if you’re looking for nothing in particular and maybe just want to browse shoe designs on Pinterest. As a matter of fact, only 7% of users search for a single word. When looking for a precise result like women’s shoes that you can buy online in Delhi, you need to put out those words for the results to be relevant. Nearly 25% of Google searches are unique, with 56% querying in three or more words.
If you’re not familiar with long-tail keywords, they are phrases that are longer than traditional head keywords. They’re named as such because they entail the search query’s context and are usually high-intent and impact searches. As per data from Ahrefs, around 91.8% of queries use long-tail keywords. They can be used in any search engine, but they tend to work best on Google’s search engine because it has more character spaces, simply because it has abundant data and can cater to almost any query you throw its way. As evident from the introduction, long-tail keywords have advantages over traditional and popular head keywords.

Let’s discuss some of the reasons why long-tail keywords are indispensable in the current competitiveness of digital content marketing.

A differentiator for search engine optimization (SEO)

As the name implies, long-tail keywords are less frequently used and more specific. This means that when you target your content with long-tail keywords, it’s likely that your audience will use them in their searches—and that’s important because Google considers this type of keyword as more relevant than short ones.

In addition to being more relevant, long-tail keywords can help improve rankings on Google and other search engines by targeting the right people with high intent based on previous behaviour patterns. When the crawlers can identify the engagement that a long-tail keyword brings to your website, they tend to tag your asset as authoritative. Organic engagement is the best way to capture your target audience. And even if you’re highlighted through your marketing campaign but the user actually ends up converting into a customer, and even a repeat customer, your goodwill soars through the sky.

They’re easier to spell

Long-tail keywords are easier to spell. When searching for a long-tail keyword, your search will likely be in natural language. This means that the words on your search bar are more likely to be ‘real’ words and phrases that people use when discussing what they’re looking for.

Long-tail keywords also have character spaces (the number of letters between each word), which means there’s less room for typos or misspellings when typing them into Google or any other search engine. These factors combined mean longer tail keywords are more accessible for humans to read and understand—and thus more likely to lead users down the right path toward their ultimate goal once clicked upon by clicks per page metric calculations from metrics such as bounce rate. The lower the bounce rate, the higher the user engagement, and the better it is for business.

Focus on a narrower set of phrases for relevance

Long-tail keywords are more specific and less competitive. You can focus on a narrower set of phrases that are more likely to be relevant to your target audience. The 80/20 rule states that 80% of results come from 20% of search terms or queries, so if you want high-quality traffic, you should only focus on the right keywords. Long tail keywords are also called long pattern words because they’re used in longer phrases (examples: “long-term care insurance” vs. “long-term care insurance rates”). For example, let’s say we’re working with nurses who could use some help with their anxiety disorder symptoms by getting access to effective strategies for managing stress levels throughout the day (and night). A good way would be to write an article based on this topic where readers can learn how other nurses have succeeded when dealing with similar issues. So, instead of giving generic advice like “take deep breaths,” we’d try something else like saying something along these lines: “If you’re feeling overwhelmed at work but don’t want anyone else knowing about it, you could try talking therapy.” And you can add tags from the statement for ‘overwhelmed at work,’ ‘don’t want anyone to know,’ etc., so that these are easier to browse by bots for displaying your page. What this does is it immediately captures the mental state and dilemma of the user and offers solutions, building a deep connection. This is how a loyal user base is created and sustained.

Easier to rank for because they’re less competitive

Long-tail keywords are also easier to rank because you’ll have a lower cost-per-click (CPC) and are more likely to rank high on the SERPs, meaning more clicks and conversions. Long-tail keywords are more accessible to rank for than head terms because they’re more focused and target oriented. This makes them much more likely to be found by Googlebot and by humans who want your product or service!

For example, if you’re selling shoes, then your long-tail keywords might be:

-Men’s black leather dress shoes, size 12

-Women’s leather pumps, size 9

-Men’s brown leather dress shoes, size 10

-Black suede sneakers for men

Things to consider

Having a good grasp of long-tail keywords and their importance in your content strategy, let’s also discuss some factors that must be considered to identify the correct set of keywords for your purpose.

1. Target audience research

This is the most crucial aspect that any business should cover before venturing into marketing. Unless you have clarity about the preferences of the audience that you’re catering to, you’ll keep aiming in the dark. If you already have an established customer/user base, you know why people like your service. But it’s still important to take feedback to align with their perception of your brand. If you offer phenomenal advice on mental health or profuse case studies of DIY projects, then you must perform consistently to keep your readers and followers hooked. On the other hand, if you’re just starting your business, you need to conduct surveys to identify your niche and acclimatize with their linguistics to be better equipped to attract and address their queries.

2.  Assess market competitiveness

There are plenty of tools out there that can aid in your market research. You can see which keywords have how much traffic and what are the top-ranking sites for the same. When you want to identify a long-tail keyword, try addressing a real problem through the phrase and look for its ranking and the kind of content being ranked. If you think you can better manage it, you have found the right keyword for your content.

3.  Glorify your USP

As long as you know your strengths, you’ll keep finding ways to put them out there and make the sale. Even if you do not have expertise in one offer but are a generalist that can cater to a wide range of audiences, maybe that can be your USP because not many businesses can offer such a wide range of services. Then, you can probably use long-tail keywords across genres and attract people. Once they find you, they’ll also know they can find much more than what was intended.

4.  Relevance is king

No matter how good your offering or content is, there will not be much traction if your keyword does not justify the offering. People lose interest way more quickly than they take time to build it. And once you lose a user, getting them back is exponentially challenging. That’s how fleeting the business of marketing is, especially digital marketing.

Keywords are an essential part of search engine functionality

Keywords play a key role in SEO strategy. Search engines use keywords to determine the relevance of a page, so if your website has lots of relevant content for those terms, you will rank higher on Google’s SERP (Search Engine Results Page). If you want to rank higher on Google’s search engine, your website must have a good number of backlinks. The more quality backlinks your site has, the higher it will rank in Google’s SERPs.

Besides these general thumb rules, it has been found that long-tail keywords help rank lower authority pages. In addition, these keywords work exceptionally for voice searches being easier to use and speak. The conversational element of voice assistants adds to the charm of these niche keywords and their potential to tap users.

Summing Up

Long-tail keywords are important in your SEO strategy but are not the only thing you must consider. They’re just one piece of the puzzle. The best way to get started with keyword research is by looking at what people are searching for online and using that data to build a list of long-tail keywords that align with your brand’s mission statements and goals .