August 26, 2021

How to Boost Your Content Marketing Strategy with Long-Tail Keywords

2021 has brought many changes to SEO strategies, most especially with Google’s focus on user experience and searcher intent. In years past, hunting for long-tail keywords with low search volume almost seemed a waste of time, yet they still provide an opportunity to connect with potential clients and customers.

That being said, it’s never been easier to research and make use of these opportunities. In this article, we’ll discuss what long-tail keywords are, what they look like, and provide some tips that you can use to target low-competition keywords with high conversion rates to boost your content marketing strategy.

What are long-tail keywords?

To put it simply, long-tail keywords are highly targeted search phrases that specifically serve searcher intent. Usually made up of two to three or even five words, they typically have low search volume and low competition, but carry higher conversion rates.

When you plot your keywords by search volume, these terms would be on the “long tail” end of the search demand curve, meaning few people are searching for them each month. Despite this lower search volume, these phrases are often easier to rank for, resulting in higher conversions than seed keywords. This is because by their nature, they communicate a clear customer need that you can solve. When you understand that searcher intent, creating content to address those queries, you’re better able to convert from those opportunities. In other words, they’re intent-driven.

What do long-tail keywords look like?

Take someone searching for mountain bikes. A user searching “Ibis Ripmo XT” indicates a clear intent to find and purchase this specific bike. On the other hand, someone searching “mountain bikes” or “trail bikes” is a lot less clear. That searcher might simply be checking out what’s available between several different brands or merely checking out the different types of mountain bikes out of interest.

Alternatively, imagine you’re a digital marketing agency with services related to strategy and digital insights. Of your long list of clients, a few happen to be from the fashion industry, meaning they likely searched something along the lines of “fashion digital marketing” to find your agency. Their search marked a clear intent, and because your agency’s website was already ranking for that term, they found you quickly. While the conversion process of them becoming your client was a bit more involved, the fact remains that Google or other search engines recognized that your products and services matched their intent, granting you the opportunity to convert them before your competitors.

Why are long-tail keywords important?

Less Competition:

At their core, these terms are specific to your business and your niche. Their search volume is lower, meaning it doesn’t take nearly as much effort to rank for them. As a result, proper keyword research combined with a few simple on-page SEO and link-building strategies will likely increase the rankings of your landing pages when using these terms.

Higher Conversion Opportunities:

As mentioned above, they provide higher conversion opportunities when adequately researched. By identifying search intent, you’ll also be able to identify queries that indicate buyer intent. You can then leverage that information to usher better, more high-quality leads into your sales funnel, complementing your content marketing efforts in the process.

Semantic Search Optimization:

Low search volume keywords are an essential part of optimizing for semantic search, which involves building more meaning into the words you use for your content. It means focusing on searcher intent rather than simply answering a question. Likewise, it means not stopping at answering the first question someone might have, but rather providing answers for the second, third, fourth, and so on. In a nutshell, optimizing for semantic search equates to more chances of obtaining a variety of keyword rankings, and more opportunities to rank for a longer period of time.

How do I find the right long-tail keywords to rank for?

Finding long-tail keywords is easy. In fact, you can create a pretty substantial list in just a few minutes by checking the keywords you currently rank for via Google Search Console. Alternatively, you can download the same information from your PPC campaigns, Facebook page, Twitter account, Instagram, YouTube videos, or other metrics you can think of that might contain that information.

Discovering low search volume keywords in your niche is a bit different, but you can do so via the following methods:

List out some seed keywords: Use a keyword planning tool to generate a list of seed keywords. Pay close attention to those with lower search volume.
Check out Google’s autocomplete suggestions: Write each seed keyword into Google and make note of its autocomplete suggestions.
Organize Google’s related search suggestions: Scroll to the bottom of each SERP and jot down the related searches.
Do the same for Bing’s Search Suggestions: You can also add any other search engines you want to optimize for at this juncture.
Add potential long-tail keywords to your target list: Gather and group all your terms and get ready to start pruning down the list.
Trim down your keyword list: Take your larger comprehensive list of terms and trim it down accordingly, weeding out those that don’t clearly communicate user intent. Once your list contains only the strongest candidates, you’re ready to start implementing those terms into your content.

How do I implement my long-tail keywords into my content?

Implementing that new list of terms isn’t nearly as complicated as it might seem. In fact, as long as you focus on helping your visitors answer questions and solve problems, you’re golden! Going back to the above examples, an eCommerce retailer of mountain bikes might leverage their keyword research to craft blog or landing page content that includes or mentions the Ibis Ripmo XT.

Likewise, a digital marketing agency looking to rank higher for fashion digital marketing would incorporate that term into their own content, supplementing it with links to their creative services to entice potential clients to work with them.

In the end, long-tail keyword strategy boils down to providing your users with the best possible experience. It’s what search engines want to see from your website, and it’s the easiest way to match search intent. By understanding your target audience, you not only gain their trust, but more opportunities for conversions as well. In other words, your keyword research and use of that information speaks to them using language they understand and resonate with.

Curious to Know More About Long-tail Keyword Strategy? Work with the Digital Marketing Experts at VELOX Media

Wanting to learn more about how to implement long-tail keywords into your content marketing strategy? We’d love to help! Contact the digital marketing experts at VELOX Media for more information on how we can help you get the most from your keywords.