Can Long-Tail Keywords Help You Outrank Your Competitors?

The competitive world of SEO can often seem like a high-stakes chess match. One wrong move and your competitor’s got your queen and your king is seconds away from being boxed in! You can optimize, strategize, and reprioritize ‘til the cows come home, but somehow, they’re always one step ahead.

But what if we told you that there’s a strategic play that you and even your competitors might be missing? We’re talking about the fabled long-tail keyword, a powerful yet underutilized tool that might be the ace up your sleeve you’ve always needed.

Today, we’re going to break down what long-tail keywords are, why they’re so effective, and how you can incorporate them into your SEO strategy. Let’s get into it!

Understanding Long-Tail Keywords with Professional SEO Services

Now, we all know what regular old keywords are, right? Simply put, they’re words and terms that people input into search engines to find their desired results. Incorporating these keywords into your content is a great way to drive more traffic to your page.

So how are long-tail keywords different? Well, they’re basically longer, more specific search phrases. In other words, they’re the phrases people enter into search engines, so targeting them can help you find more relevant audiences for your content.

For example, the word “shoes” might be a relevant keyword for a fitness blog, but you can do a lot better than that. A long-tail keyword like “best running shoes for flat feet” might be better suited to your goals!

Why Long-Tail Keywords Are Powerful for SEO

For starters, long-tail keywords are highly underutilized, which means they also provide far less competition. Lower competition means you’ll have an easier time obtaining a high ranking on the SERP! You see, most websites tend to go for a quantity over quality approach. They see a keyword with high volume and go for it, leaving long-tail keywords up for grabs.

This isn’t the only advantage of using long-tail keywords, by the way. Any SEO consulting company worth its salt will tell you that they’re great for boosting your conversion rate, because they target people that are closer to making a purchase. Folks using long-tail keywords already know what product they want, now all they need is someone to buy it from!

You’ll drive much more relevant traffic to your site as a result, because you’ll mostly attract visitors that are specifically interested in what you offer! More qualified traffic leads to more conversions leads to more sales; it’s the kind of virtuous cycle most brands can only dream of. Seriously, we’re talking a 36% conversion rate here, so the sky really is the limit.

Remember, nearly 92% of all search queries involve long-tail keywords, so you’re seriously missing out if you don’t include them in your strategy.

How An SEO Consulting Company Finds Effective Long-Tail Keywords

Ever wonder how the pros do it? That’s what we’re here to tell you! There are three techniques you can use here, and we recommend incorporating all of them to create a holistic strategy. Here’s what you need to know:

 

• Use Keyword Research Tools

Keyword research tools like Ahrefs and Semrush can help you identify long-tail keywords that connect you to a conversion-ready audience. But you don’t have to rely exclusively on paid tools - Google Keyword Planner can work wonders at no cost. Just input a broad keyword and take a look at the suggestions it provides. Alternatively, Neil Patel offers a great free keyword research tool called Ubersuggest that you could try out.

 

• Analyze Google Autocomplete

This might just be the easiest way to come up with long-tail keywords. So, when you enter a query into the search bar, Google usually suggests longer, more specific phrases. These phrases are based on popular search results. Cross-reference them with the keyword research tools we mentioned above and your strategy will start taking shape.

 

• Use Content Gap Analysis

Ahrefs and other tools aren’t just great for finding keywords. They also offer content gap analysis which identifies long-tail keywords your competitors rank for that you’re missing out on. Remember to run analytics regularly to see if your new SEO strategy is bearing any fruit.

Incorporating Long-Tail Keywords into Your SEO Strategy

Content is king, so this process naturally starts with creating blog posts, guides, and FAQs that feature your long-tail keywords. It’s important to feature these keywords organically in your content. After Google’s core algorithm update back in March 2024, keyword stuffing and other unnatural methods of incorporating keywords result in heavy penalties that could tank your SERP rankings.

Also, remember to add the long-tail keywords to your meta title, meta description, and headings if possible. Treat them like any other keywords - utilize them through semantic SEO, boost them with LSI keywords, and make sure the content is structured effectively to provide a good reading experience.

And don’t forget, technical SEO plays a role in elevating your long-tail keyword strategy as well. With 60% of all searches coming from mobile users, it’s essential to optimize your site for mobile devices. Site structure matters too - a clean, crawlable structure helps your site get indexed faster, boosting the impact of your long-tail keywords.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Targeting Long-Tail Keywords

Perhaps the biggest mistake you can make is overshooting your keyword density. Google penalizes sites guilty of keyword stuffing, so be sure to avoid this cardinal SEO sin. Aim for a keyword density of around 2% to 5%, and prioritize the user experience and readability every step of the way.

Secondly, even if your long-tail keywords are incorporated tastefully and organically, they won’t do you much good unless the content aligns with user intent. Analytics data can come in clutch here - take a look at what your users are actually looking for and adjust your content accordingly.

If this sounds like a lot, that just goes to show how big of a deal this is. Adjusting your SEO strategy isn’t something you can take lightly, and it can take a lot of effort to go it alone. Regardless, long-tail keywords are the sort of secret weapon that can give your brand a healthy influx of traffic - as long as you implement it right.

Your Competitors Are Sleeping on This - How to Get Ahead by Hiring an SEO Consultant

Content Development Pros isn’t just an SEO consulting company - we’re a full-freight digital agency, and our approach is informed by every stage of the sales funnel. Our aim is to develop an SEO strategy that drives the results clients are looking for, whether that’s awareness, engagement, or conversions. With our SEO team at your disposal, you can integrate long-tail keywords with razor-sharp precision and rest assured that Google’s core algorithm update will be kept in mind.

Times are changing, and the old strategies of keyword stuffing, high-volume targeting, and relying on generic terms just aren’t working anymore. That’s why you need to change things up, and CDP is just the agency to help you do it.