The world of search rankings and long tail keywords isn’t an easy world to master. This is particularly true if you have a new business or a small business where you are just finding your feet.

One way that you can increase your traffic and make sure that you get some more leads and sales is to use long tail keywords. However, it isn’t always easy to find the right long tail keyword.  So, to help you on the way, I have put together my guide to choosing the right long tail keywords for your business.

Let’s go right from the beginning, what are long tail keywords?

Keywords, as most people understand it are words that match in with the products and services you offer. They are the words that people may type into a search engine to find you. The trouble is, that they are not hugely specific and will return a lot of results, especially keywords on their own.

Long tail keywords, on the other hand, are incredibly specific. Most of these keywords are around 3 words long, although the length doesn’t define whether or not it can be seen as a long tail keyword.

As they are specific, long tail keywords are much easier to rank for than more general keywords. Particularly if it is a lesser searched for phrase.

Why choosing long tail keywords are key

Whilst they may be a little more on the complicated side to pick, choosing long tail keywords is really important for your business. This is true for a variety of reasons.

1. They are easier to rank– one of the most important reasons to focus on long-tail keywords is because they are much easier to rank for than normal keywords. So ‘Hairdresser’ is a bit generic a word for your website. But ‘Hairdresser Billericay’ may be a better choice of key words for your businesses website. (That’s if you are a Hairdresser in Billericay that is!)
2. They can target a particular audience– they are also great for targeting a specific part of your target audience, particularly those that are ready to make a purchase, rather than those that are just getting research on what they want to buy or the service that they want to use.
3. They cost less to advertise– if you pay out for your advertising through Google Adwords, then you are likely to be receiving a bill. Long tail keywords make for a better investment. They have a lower bill due to the lower search volume of the words. Yet they still see a good chance of a click through.

Finding those long tail keywords

So, think that you want to give these long tail keywords a go? Not sure where to start finding them?

Well, the bad news is that there really is no one-size fits all formula for finding them. In fact, it may take a few goes before you find the ideal keywords for you. The key is to make sure that you pick keywords that match your USP. What can you offer your customers that is unique to you? Once you have this, then it is time to start thinking of a few words that can summarise this.

Remember, the more unique the keywords, the more chance you will have to increase your click throughs.

I would recommend using Google Keyword Planner and enter your keywords in there. They also give examples of associated words. This will give you a feel for what people are searching for on google.

If you are interested in reading more about keywords then check out these blogs:

A beginner’s guide to keywords
How to rock your small business SEO