Long tail keywords are longer and more specific keyword phrases that are more likely to be used by visitors when they are closer to a purchase point or when using voice search. They're a little counterintuitive at first, but if you know how to use them, they can be extremely valuable.
Take this example: if you're a company selling classic furniture, it's likely that your pages will never appear near the top of an organic "furniture" search because there's too much competition (especially if you're a smaller company or startup).
But if you're specializing in, say, contemporary art-deco furniture, then keywords like "contemporary art deco-influenced sectional couch" will find those consumers who are looking for exactly that product reliably.
Managing long-tail keywords is simply a matter of creating stronger lines of communication between your company and the consumers that are already out there, searching actively for what you are offering.
Less Competition & Lower Cost
Long-tail keywords are useful to companies that want to rate their content in organic Google searches, but they may be even more important to advertisers running paid search marketing campaigns.
That's because the cost per click is significantly lower when you bid on long-tailed keywords, as there's less competition.
Long Tail Keyword Suggestions
By targeting longer, more specific long-tail keywords in your AdWords campaigns, you can get higher search ad rankings without having to pay a premium for each click.
The trick is to find the right, reliable, renewable source of long-tail keywords for you and your niche. Surprisingly, this rich category is neglected by most keyword suggestion tools, focusing only on the head and ignoring the rest of the dragon.
For years, many SEO companies have been touting the importance of longtail keywords as opposed to standard keywords like "Internet marketing company Charlotte NC" or "plumbers in Duluth MN."
A long tail keyword would instead look more like, "what are the best Internet marketing tips for businesses in Charlotte NC."
When users search on a computer, they tend to use short, unnatural phrases.
Incorporating these awkward keywords into copy has long been a challenge for any Internet marketing company, but longtail keywords pose challenges of their own.
The reliance on voice search also signals another major shift in SEO techniques, the shift towards mobile search.
For years, web design companies and Internet marketing experts have been urging business owners to adapt their site for mobile users, and Google's focus on mobile search is only increasing.
Without a mobile site optimized for both long and short tail keywords, many websites are going to be left behind.
Plus, one survey found that 62% of companies saw sales increase online after adopting a new mobile responsive design.
We also know that 40% of people will bounce away from web pages that take more than three seconds to load, and a site that doesn't load quickly on mobile devices isn't going to be an SEO loser.
Marketing Strategies - How to Find Long Tail Keywords
Keyword research can be a fruitful marketing tactic, particularly in advertising and SEO, to find long tail keywords around a specific niche.
Long tail keywords are more descriptive, so searchers are more likely to know what they're looking for and thus are ready to buy something.
Many search terms are also less effective in online advertising. In other words, more marketers bid to put advertisements on the most common result pages of the search engine.
This is also valid as far as organic SEO initiatives are concerned, with less competition for these requests, rankings can be easier than for shorter, more popular searches.
Long tail keywords ads can be a great return on investment. Instead of wasting your budget on one or two highly competitive phrases you can see better results by bidding on many long tail keywords.
