According to Wordstream, long tail keywords are the longer, more specific keywords that are less common, individually, but add up to account for the majority of search-driven traffic. For example, “web design” is a highly competitive keyword with an estimated local search volume of over 90,000 per month. However, the long tail keyword of “why responsive web design is important” only gets about 20 searches per month and is much less competitive.
The odds are that your site will rank much more quickly with long tail keywords rather than focusing solely on your “head” terms, or more competitive keywords. Developing a content marketing plan of producing quality blog articles on a regular basis that are focused on long tail keywords can add up to several hundred searches over time. Also, it’s been proven that long tail keywords will help reach your niche market and result in a more qualified lead. Here are a few tips to increase your traffic and convert your visitors into qualified leads.
Find a Great Keyword Tool
There are several keyword tools on the market today. As long as you have a Google Account, the Google Adwords Keyword Planner will be a great place to start your keyword research. Whichever tool you decide upon, it’s imperative that you’re able to create a thorough listing of keywords, especially the long tail. Once you’ve done so, you can setup an editorial calendar for your blog articles that is focused on a certain long tail keyword for your industry (ex. why responsive web design is important). Once you’ve setup your editorial calendar, you’ll need to follow SEO best practices and make the long tail keyword your focus of the blog article.
On-Page SEO Best Practices
The Google search algorithm considers the page content and the title tag as the two most important places to include your focus keyword. Each blog post or page of your website should have a focus keyword. Once you have compiled your list of keywords, try to include your focus keyword at the beginning of the title tag.
If you’re using the Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress, the title tag is referred to as the SEO Title and can be found under the main editor window of the page or post. An SEO title is limited to around 55 characters and can also include a secondary keyword or the name of your company.
After adding your focus long tail keyword as the SEO title, be sure to utilize the exact long tail keyword in your content as well. According to SEO best practices, you’ll want to ensure that you’ve used related keywords as well. Be sure to create a meta description that will entice your audience to click your result rather than your competition (ex. add a call to action like a Free Consultation).
Share Your Content on Social Media
Once you’ve created your blog and incorporated SEO best practices as outlined above, share your blog on your social media pages. The more your link is shared, the better chance you’ll have of someone linking to your content. Having natural, external links can certainly help your site rank well on Google. Doing so will improve your domain authority over your competition.
Following the steps above will help you on your journey to generate more traffic and increase your leads. Ranking less competitive keywords tend to render faster results that can help you get a better ROI. If you need assistance with searching for long tail keywords and setting up a digital marketing plan for your small business, give us a call at (770) 580-3736 or complete the online form for a free consultation.