Create Content Using Long Tail Keywords

by | Aug 26, 2016 | Content Writing

As people do Internet product research, their queries get more and more specific as they approach their buying decision.  These queries use long tail keywords: long tail because of the way they appear on a graph.

Do you use long tail keywords when you do a Google search?

Think of the last product search that you did.  What were the steps you took?  You likely:

  1. Became aware of a product.
  2. Began searching for information about the product.
  3. Evaluated alternatives to the product like features, cost, etc.
  4. Made your buying decision.
As you proceeded along your buying journey, your searches became more specific.   For example, let’s use the case of buying a new clothes dryer.  At first, you might use a generic search like “clothes dryers.”   The search engine would return a long list of possible products.

You narrow your search with a more specific keyword

You consider an electric dryer versus a gas dryer.  You choose the gas dryer because of the expense of operation.   As you read about the features of your new dryer, you decide that a quick refresh steam cycle would be handy.   Your next search includes the phrase “gas dryer with the steam cycle.”  And as you consider alternatives you approach your decision point.

Now think about this from the page author’s viewpoint.  Only a few pages on the Internet contain the keyword phrase  “gas dryer with the steam cycle.” While many contain the keyword “clothes dryers.” Because there are fewer pages with the keyword “steam cycle” the odds of these pages appearing high in the search for “steam cycle” are much better.

If you wrote a blog article on the advantages of a steam cycle in refreshing your clothes, you would be more likely to be found because of its specificity. And if your blog is well written, you have an excellent chance of being on the first page of the search results pages.

Advantages of Using Long Tail Keywords

The keyword “steam cycle” won’t bring as many visitors to your site.  But those that come are serious buyers.  So by writing a blog on the advantages of the steam cycle, you’ve accomplished several things:

  1. Long tail keywords make your page appear higher in a Google search.
  2. People who search using them are serious buyers.
  3. If you write articles using long tail keywords for other products, you will create more pages. Google likes sites with more pages.
  4. You can use the format of this first blog page in creating more pages.

Long tail keywords will bring buyers in the later stages of their buying journey.  But,  it’s a good idea to have more general keywords to attract early-stage buyers too.

Suggested steps in creating content

When I first started creating content, I thought of the topic that would be interesting to my readers.  I developed a blog on this topic and then tried to think of keywords. Now, I think of the subject and then right away look for long tail keywords.  I research variations on the keywords and choose the one that is likely to rank in a Google search.

I start by including the long tail keyword in the title of the post and the first paragraph.   I also include the long tail keyword once or twice in the body of the article.   I embed an image or a graph in the part of the post above the fold to help capture readers’ attention.   I end the post with a question that includes the long tail keyword.

Are you ready to create content with long tail keywords?