Unless you have a very large marketing budget, chances are that optimising your website affordably with a PPC campaign will involve the use of long tail keywords as opposed to those included in the majority of internet searches. This holds true for search engine page ranking, too.
Selecting the best long tail keywords takes care. You will realise excellent results if you do some keyword research and then focus on the right keywords for your e-commerce niche site.
Advantages Of Using Long Tail Keywords
Picture a bell graph. The middle, or highest curve, on the graph represents the largest number. The tail end of the graph tapers down to one thin line. That is the long tail.
The long tail was first coined as a way to describe the sale of products that are in lower demand than more popular items. So long tail keywords are those that describe a very specific niche in the sales market. The advantage of focusing on these keywords (and the respective products) is that the competition is much scarcer, allowing your company to more easily achieve page one rankings for a particular niche. And those internet users who do click through to your site are much more likely to be highly qualified prospects ready to buy.
Long Tail Keyword Research
Finding the right long tail keywords involves some work. The easiest place to start is by simply adding terms to the basic keywords that already describe your business. For example, if your site features home financing options, then the primary keywords may be “mortgage financing”.
Now let’s say that your particular business niche involves obtaining mortgage loans for people with bad credit who are first home buyers. The long tail keyword phrases might look something like these:
•Guaranteed loans for NSW buyers with bad credit.
• Home financing regardless of credit history.
• Best interest rates for bad credit loans in Melbourne.
• Financing for first time homebuyers.
These examples build on the fact that you are offering a product aimed directly at people who may have a hard time finding financing for a home, promising the lowest rates and targeting specific regions. Anyone who is using terms like these to search the internet is sure to be very interested in your offerings – making them qualified prospects. Geo targeting helps you narrow your competition even further and once you’ve achieved great results in an area, you can always expand.
But more than just guessing at which combinations are best, use the keyword research tools to determine what real people are searching for. You can find free and premium tools that will help you . Also consider finding a very strong competitor and using their URL in the keyword finder tool. It will return a list of those keyword phrases that are being used to optimise the site.
Another good way to assess the viability of long tail keywords is to take a look at what is already happening on your website. Analyse the website statistics and review the search terms currently being used to find your site. If you have a search box on your pages, take the time to find out what text visitors are using.
Whenever you create content for your site – whether it be page text or blog posts – focus on one or two long tail keyword phrases to insert throughout. Over time it will become apparent which ones are most effective at driving traffic and sales.
It is very advantageous to optimise your site with long tail keywords over those with the largest volume of searches. It is cheaper for a PPC campaign, it targets qualified prospects, and it gives your site the best chance for achieving top search engine results.
See you at the top of Google!
Sean Rasmussen
SEO Australia Pacific
AussieSEO.com © 2007 - 2010
Thanks Sean – I have been wanting to study longtail keywords and research.
.-= Angela´s last blog ..Great Insurance Agent =-.
My pleasure Angela, learn all you can about long tail keywords, do your research and I’m sure you will see huge benefits of targeting them.
Great stuff Sean. The thing that I really like about targeting the long tail keywords is that not only is it easier to rank for them, but in time you also begin to rank for the shorter tail keywords that are containing within the long tail.
It’s sort-of like a win-win situation
.-= Cemil´s last blog ..Affili@syd – Affiliate Marketing Conference =-.
Anything that’s a win-win is always a good thing Cemil
I didnt know that in time you got ranking for the shorter tail keywords, thanks Cemil
I quickly learnt after spending $1000 on ppc adds with no results that using long tail keywords are the way to go. When I started learning internet marketing, I used words which were far too popular and broad and as a result wasted a lot of time and money as I didn’t understand the benefits of using long tail keywords.
.-= Jackie Stenhouse´s last blog ..Falling Pregnant =-.
I hear you Jackie! I spent a small fortune on PPC and wish I had learnt this crucial bit of information sooner! Isn’t it great that anyone who has not done PPC yet can avoid a repeat of our experience all thanks to Sean!
Hi Tara,
Sean does a great job of helping us avoid all kinds of pitfalls. But, it’s also people like Jackie and you who share your stories. It really drives home to the rest of us how much we need to learn before we get started with PPC.
.-= Jazz Salinger´s last blog ..Finding Your Passion =-.
Hi Sean,
This is great advice. I really like your suggestion of looking at a competitor’s site to see which keywords they are optimising their site for. I hadn’t thought of doing this before. You have so many great suggestions buried in these posts.
.-= Jazz Salinger´s last blog ..Learn and Earn – It’s a Marathon Not a Sprint =-.
I love Long Tail Keywords. They are more detailed so I target people that really are interested in my niche. Because they are more specialized you rank for them faster. And over time you will rank for the main keyword as well.
I have been using my statistics to optimize my long tail keywords, but haven’t looked at the competition in that detail yet.
.-= Renee´s last blog ..Self Improvement Books – What Are Your Favourites =-.
The bell curve chart is a great visual representation of long tail keywords, thank you. I got alot from this post and will be going through this article again to ensure the information sinks in. I am finding that I am getting new nuggets each time I re-read them!
This is a really excellent explanation of what longtail keywords are and how to construct them!
The example of first home buyers is spot on and shows how to both narrow the search and target specific audiences. It must improve your chances for conversion