It’s tempting to go after broad, high-volume keywords with huge audiences (and equally huge competition). But there’s an equally large — albeit more distributed audience — to be reached by targeting lower-competition, long tail keywords.
Imagine comets flying through the SEO solar system, if the most popular keywords make up the head of the comets (‘running shoes’, for example), each comet is trailed by a tail of more specific keywords like ‘long distance trail running shoes 2018’ and ‘best running shoes for flat feet’, that are useful in niche marketing.[1]
Strategically pursuing the right long tail keywords as part of your SEO strategy can deliver several advantages.
As they have lower search volumes, they are usually much less competitive, making it easier for your brand to rank highly in search engine results.
Also, the specificity of long tail keywords generally indicates that those web searchers are nearer to the action part of their customers’ journeys. As a result, these keywords tend to have higher conversion rates.
Therefore, long tail keywords offer the opportunity to be discovered by your target audience when they are near their crucial decision points.
If you deeply understand and satisfy their specific search intent[2] by providing compelling information or offers, even large competitors might not stand in your way.
But knowing that you need a long tail SEO strategy is only half the battle won, you need to find those keywords which are not always obvious.
Here are eight simple techniques that will help you target and find long tail keywords that align with your business’ goals:
1. Let Google autofill suggest long tail keywords for you
This is as simple as it