Long-Tail Keywords: The Online Marketing Tool of the Week
Most businesses that use a website to reach their target audience understand what keywords are and why they are important to use. However, not everyone is familiar with long-tail keywords. Unfortunately, if your website content writing services aren’t using this type of keywords in your content, you won’t generate the success you want. Your web content writer must use these keywords to help boost your search engine rankings.
What Is a Long-Tail Keyword?
The first step in determining whether your web content writer is using long-tail keywords is to understand exactly what they are. Keywords are the words you use to create your content to help people find your website. When you use long-tail keywords, you are choosing words that narrow your target audience even further. These phrases include more than one word and provide additional details. For instance, if you are a construction company that specializes in remodeling, you want to include words like “home remodeling,” “remodeling projects,” “kitchen remodeling,” and “remodeling construction company.” These keywords will be easier to rank for than one-word keywords.
Think Like Your Customers
One way to find the long-tail keywords most likely to generate success is to think like your customers. What types of phrases are your customers likely to type into the search box? Think about what questions they may have. This can help you narrow your choices and increase the right search engine rankings. The longer the keyword phrases you choose, the easier it will be to rank. However, you don’t want to choose something so long it isn’t likely to be entered into a search engine. Talk to your website content writing services to determine whether your target phrases are the best option.
Use Keyword Tools
Keyword tools are important for your web content writer to use. These tools allow you to look at what keywords your competitors rank for and how often certain ones are searched. With this information, your website content writing services can determine which options are best to help you reach your target audience while remaining competitive in your industry. Many of these keyword tools are free, but your content writing service may have recommendations for paid services that offer the information you need to rank well and outshine your competitors.
Go Local
Some companies target a local audience and have little need to reach a national or international audience. For these businesses, the use of a locality can be a valuable asset to long-tail keywords. In addition to choosing keyword phrases consisting of more than one word, you can add your city or state to help people who live near you find your website and physical location. Although some businesses don’t benefit from local searches, companies with a physical address or those that don’t cater to customers far from their location can help people find them with the right geographic words.
Start Small and Expand
If you or your content writer is having difficulty determining which long-tail keywords are best to use, you can start small. Consider the main keywords you want to target. These words can be stand-alone words that show users what you offer. As in the example above, a construction company would start with words like “construction,” “remodeling” and “contractors.” Once you have a short list of single words that match what you offer, you can begin expanding on them. Considering descriptive words or those that naturally go together with the base words is a good start.
When you are choosing the right keywords to reach your target audience, it is important to consider longer keyword phrases. Many companies attempt to rank well for single words many other companies are using. This can make increased ranking more difficult for businesses. Instead, it is important for these businesses to consider expanding their keywords into longer phrases individuals are likely to search with. Your website content writing services can help you identify the best keywords to use and how to create the right phrases to attract your target audience. Their goal is to give your content writer something to work with so your content reaches those who need you most.
If you need help determining which long-tail keywords you should use, contact us. Our website content writing service can complete keyword research and make a recommendation you can rely on.