The Importance of Keywords: What is the Long Tail?

By Christina Tarkoff

 

 

Never underestimate the importance of keywords in internet marketing, particularly the long tail keywords that can pick you up traffic that others might miss. So what is the long tail, and how can it be used to improve your chances of online success?

As you probably know, a keyword is nothing more than the search term a search engine user employs to find information. In order to be more specific with our terms, let’s use Google as a typical search engine: it is used for almost 80% of internet searches, with Bing and Yahoo next at about 8% and 7% respectively.

When considering the importance of keywords in Google rankings, particularly long tail keywords, there are some aspects of the Google search and listing algorithms of which you should be aware.

1. Keywords and Search Terms

When you are seeking information online you will enter a search term into the Google search box. For example, if you want a new lock for your house door you might enter ‘locks’. Google will search its index for web pages that contain the text string ‘locks’ and then provide you with a list of web pages that contain this term in order of relevance and quality of service.

In order for your web page to be listed for ‘locks,’ it must first be indexed by Google. This means the page must meet certain other criteria – such as have a Privacy Policy perhaps, have large numbers of quality web pages relating to locks linking to yours, have a logical design and load quickly, enable visitors to easily contact you, and many, many more. However, your page must also contain the keyword because that is what the Google user is seeking.

2. The Mystifying Google Algorithms—Otherwise Known as Latent Semantic Indexing

Google applies an algorithm known as LSI (latent semantic indexing), which calculates mathematically the relevance of the vocabulary on your page to the search term used by the Google user.

a) You Are the Customer

Let’s say you enter ‘locks’ into the Google search window. You will receive information on locks of hair, canal locks, internet security devices and even poems containing the word. The vocabulary you use on your web page should make it clear to a search engine algorithm exactly what the topic of the page is – the Google LSI algorithm is programmed to recognize synonyms, and to relate their use to a specific search term.

So you should also use vocabulary such as ‘key, door, house,’ and so on. The Google LSI algorithm will then know to list only pages that refer to door locks.

b) You Are the Seller

So let’s now turn that on its head, and assume that you are not carrying out the search, but are offering information and products on your web page. You should make it clear to Google within the text on your page exactly what kind of locks you are selling. The more relevant your page, and the better it meets Google’s listing criteria, the higher your page will be listed in these results.

By using the main keyword (‘locks’) and including the secondary keywords in both your title and the body of your page content, you will find that Google will provide the prospect with pages that relate to the type of locks you are selling. In other words, you should optimize each web page on your website for one specific search term, so that your page has a good chance of being listed when a search engine user uses that term or something close to it, then also include semantically relevant vocabulary to emphasize the relevance.

3. What Is the Long Tail

The logical conclusion is to design your web page content round keywords consisting of multiple words. In fact, a good strategy would be to create a few pages using popular keywords such as ‘security locks’, chub locks, ‘door locks’ and so on. Then create more pages on longer keywords/phrases.

Keyword analysis might find terms such as ‘front entry door locks’ and ‘door locks and hardware.’ By optimizing a page on each of these you would likely pick up traffic that web pages without these terms would not get. You could take it even further, to real long-tail keywords of five or more words such as ‘Door security – benefits of 7-lever door locks.’

Here are some specific advantages of using the long tail keywords in your keyword strategy:

• When used in large numbers, long tail keywords can get you a significant number of visitors.
• Long tail keywords are more specific than shorter phrases, so the traffic that reaches your web page is highly targeted and more likely to buy.
• The more words used in their search, the more focused prospects are and the more committed they are to buy.
• Long tail keywords are cheaper to buy in CPC advertising due to the lower competition, and they also offer higher click through rates.

The Take Away

While the importance of keywords should be obvious to those involved in internet marketing, the long tail keywords should be targeted as part of an effective comprehensive SEO campaign marketing. What is the long tail? It is an opportunity!




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