how to use long tail keywords to drive more targeted traffic

Long-tail keywords make up 91.8% of all Google searches, making them incredibly important for website owners to prioritize. These longer, more specific phrases reflect how people naturally search for information online. For example, when shopping for shoes, most people don’t just type “shoes” into Google– instead, they’d likely search for something more specific, like “women’s red running shoes for wide feet.”

With traditional, highly competitive keywords difficult to rank for, website owners need to leverage the power of long-tail keywords to attract targeted traffic and improve search engine visibility. This article will explain how to use long-tail keywords to maximize your website’s results and boost your SEO success.

What Are Long-Tail Keywords and Why Do They Matter?

Unlike broad, generic keywords, long-tail keywords are longer, more specific search phrases – typically three or more words. They reflect the way people naturally search for information online. Instead of searching for a broad keyword like “marketing,” a long-tail keyword could be “email marketing strategies for small businesses.”

While long-tail keywords generally have lower individual search volumes than their short-tail counterparts, they make up for it in specificity and relevance. This specificity unlocks several key benefits for your SEO strategy. For example, because they have less search volume, this means long-tail keywords face less competition. They offer a more realistic opportunity for smaller or newer websites to gain better visibility in search results.

Plus, long-tail keywords attract highly targeted visitors. People using long-tail keywords are often further along in their decision-making journey. They’re actively seeking specific information, products, or solutions – exactly what your website should offer. This laser focus on intent translates into a higher chance of attracting genuinely interested visitors who are more likely to convert.

How to Use Long-Tail Keywords for SEO

Now that you understand the power of long-tail keywords, let’s dive into practical strategies for using them to boost your SEO. 

Find the Right Long-Tail Keywords

The first step is to conduct thorough keyword research to identify long-tail keywords with high potential. There are a variety of SEO tools available that you can use to help you out, like SEMRush or Google Keyword Planer. Start by using the tool to search a “seed keyword” – a short, broad term related to your niche or industry. Once you feed this seed keyword into the tool, it will generate a wealth of variations, long-tail expansions, and related searches. This provides a valuable starting point for building your long-tail keyword strategy. 

Another great place to look for long-tail keywords is the autocomplete features in search engines like Google. As you start typing in a search query, the autocomplete offers suggestions based on popular real-world searches. These phrases often reveal what users are truly interested in.

Lastly, you can analyze your existing customer interactions. What are their most common pain points, questions, and challenges? Turn those directly into long-tail keywords. Tools like Answer the Public can help visualize the type of questions people ask search engines related to a specific topic or keyword. Social media platforms are also a great place to find the questions real people are asking about your products, services, or industry.

Consider User Search Intent

When choosing long-tail keywords, it’s crucial to consider the intent behind a user’s search. Are they looking for information, comparing products, or ready to make a purchase? Matching long-tail keyword choices to search intent is essential for attracting the right kind of visitors with the highest likelihood of conversion.

To do this, consider what type of information your target audience might be actively searching for based on their place in the buyer journey. Questions starting with “how,” “what,” “where,” etc., signal a desire to learn more about a topic, suggesting informational search intent. You should incorporate these question-based long-tail keywords to attract users seeking knowledge on a topic. 

On the other hand, phrases containing “buy,” “best,” “reviews,” or product names signify a transactional purchase intent. Optimize for these long-tail keywords to attract users who are closer to making a purchase decision. 

Strategically Place Your Keywords

Identifying the right long-tail keywords is a great start, but to maximize their impact, strategic placement is essential. You’ll want to include your primary long-tail keywords in your page titles and meta descriptions—the snippets that appear in search results. This helps both users and search engines understand the focus of your page. You should also incorporate variations of those keywords throughout your content’s headers and subheadings. Structuring your pages this way provides clarity and signals relevance to search engines. 

When doing this, it’s important to aim for the natural inclusion of long-tail keywords that provide value to the reader. You should always prioritize readability rather than fixating on a specific keyword density percentage. This makes for a better user experience and also follows more modern SEO guidelines.

Build Topic Clusters

Topic clusters are an effective strategy for organizing your website’s content and maximizing the potential of long-tail keywords. Instead of individual, disjointed articles, a topic cluster approach centers around a core “pillar page”. This comprehensive pillar page provides a broad overview of the main topic. You then create multiple “cluster” pages focusing on specific long-tail keywords related to the pillar topic. This structure, interconnected by internal links, signals to search engines that your website is an authority on the subject matter.

Topic clusters support your long-tail keyword strategy in several ways. First, they improve your website’s topical authority across the board, demonstrating your expertise and depth of knowledge, ultimately strengthening your SEO signals. Secondly, because each cluster page within a topic cluster offers an opportunity to target and rank for multiple long-tail keywords related to your core topic, you increase your website’s overall visibility. Finally, by guiding visitors to related content, you improve their experience and increase their time on your site. 

Avoid Keyword Stuffing

While long-tail keywords are incredibly valuable, it’s essential to use them strategically and avoid keyword stuffing. Keyword stuffing is the outdated practice of cramming as many keywords as possible into content, regardless of whether it flows naturally or adds value for the reader. Doing so harms SEO and offers a poor user experience.

Keyword stuffing is harmful for several reasons. Search engine algorithms have become incredibly sophisticated and can easily detect this manipulation attempt. Getting caught keyword stuffing can lead to ranking penalties, potentially tanking your hard-won visibility. Further, content that is unnaturally filled with keywords becomes incredibly difficult to read, quickly driving users away from your site. Keyword stuffing is obvious to readers, which negatively impacts your brand’s credibility and trustworthiness.

Instead of focusing on forced keyword insertion, always prioritize providing a natural, informative reading experience with keywords woven in organically to deliver genuine value to your audience. Modern search engines prioritize readability, semantic relevance, and high-quality content above simple keyword repetition.

Start Using Long-Tail Keywords Today

By understanding the power of long-tail keywords and the strategies discussed in this article, you’re well on your way to boosting your SEO and attracting more qualified visitors to your website. Integrating long-tail keywords into your content might seem daunting at first, but the benefits far outweigh any initial learning curve.

To get started, begin by conducting keyword research using the tools and techniques mentioned earlier. Analyze your findings, identify those long-tail gems with strong search volume and high relevance to your business, and start incorporating them strategically throughout your website. Soon enough, you’ll reap the rewards of increased search engine visibility, highly targeted traffic, and improved conversions that come with a smart long-tail keyword strategy.