What Are Long-tail Keywords And How to Use Them

Beginner’s Guide to Long-Tail Keywords

Main search engine queries are specific and tailored exactly to what the user is looking to find. With this in mind, businesses should consider incorporating long-tail keywords into their PPC campaigns to drive highly targeted traffic to their website.

What Are Long-Tail Keywords?

A long-tail keyword is a keyword phrase that features at least three separate words (but some argue two or more is considered to be long-tail).

Unlike singular keywords that tend to target mass audiences, long-tail keywords target niche demographics. They’re more exact and specific, so they’re often less competitive than singular keywords.

Why You Should Consider Bidding on Long-Tail Keywords

It’s always advantageous to be advertising where your competitors are not.

Because they’re so precise, long-tail keywords are extremely high quality because the user knows exactly what they’re looking to find. You’ll be attracting the exact traffic you want – and they’ll be far more likely to convert.

And, the competition level is usually lower that singular keywords – which means you have the chance to convert searchers at a low cost. With short keywords, competition for rankings can often be fierce, and because the search has so much choice, the ROI can sometimes be disappointing.

The key is to find reliable, relevant long-tail keywords in your campaigns. A lot of keyword tools neglect this powerful category, focusing on the keywords with the highest monthly searches instead of the quality of them.

3 Ways to Find Long-Tail Keywords

Luckily, finding long-tail keywords isn’t that different from finding shorter ones.

1. Use Local Keywords

Take your existing shorter keywords and include a country, region, city, town etc.

Local qualifiers will help you bring in local traffic or searchers from a specific area which you want to target.

2. Feature Qualifying Terms

Refine your keywords with add-ons …

• – Colour
• – Size
• – Gender
• – Make
• – Model
• – Feature
• – Purpose
• – Price

For example, “women’s black boots for walking”. Or “PPC services for small businesses with low budget”.

3. Try WordStream’s Free Keyword Research Tool

Enter the keyword you want to search and WordStream will return the 10 keyword suggestions with an idea of your competition and opportunity score.

4. Use Google Keyword Planner

There are so many different ways businesses can conduct keyword research, ranging from free tools with average capabilities to expensive complex solutions. Among the many keyword research tools is Google Keyword Planner.

Find out more: About Google Keyword Planner

Conclusion

If you’re looking for better rankings on SERPs, targeted search traffic and lower cost per click, then using long-tail keywords is certainly something you should consider.

Do you have any tricks for building a long-tail keyword list for PPC? Let us know in the comments section below