Long Tail SEO: using Long Tail Keywords

Long tail is an effective SEO strategy to get qualified traffic and increase conversions. By identifying niche keywords that are relevant to your website and optimizing it for these keywords, you can improve your website’s visibility in search results and get real business results.

Table of Contents

• Definition of long tail
• Translation of long tail into Italian
• History of the long tail theory
• The Importance of Long Tail in SEO
• How to find long tail keywords
• How to choose long tail keywords
• How Long Tail Can Affect Your Google Rank
• Long Tail Keywords Examples

The use of long tail keywords is always considered in the search engine optimization strategy of our SEO agency . Long tail keywords are niche keywords, that is, less competitive keywords that generate a lower search volume, but generally more qualified traffic.

Definition of long tail

Long tail is the concept that most of a website’s traffic comes from niche keywords.

This is because generic keywords, such as “attorney,” are very competitive and difficult to rank for. In contrast, niche keywords, such as “family law attorney,” are less competitive and therefore easier to rank for.

Translation of long tail into Italian

The “long tail,” in Italian “coda lunga,” is a term coined by Chris Anderson in a 2004 article and later developed in his book “ The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More ” (2006). It refers to a statistical distribution that occurs in many industries, including business, sales, and entertainment.

In essence, the long tail is a theory that suggests that, thanks to the digital age and the internet-based economy, more and more consumers have access to a wide range of niche products or services, rather than focusing only on the most popular or mainstream products or services.

This “long tail” appears on the right side of a curve-shaped graph, where the x-axis represents products or services and the y-axis represents demand or popularity.

In other words, while a few products or services (the “head”) are extremely popular and dominate the market, there is a significantly larger number of less popular products or services (the “long tail”) that, when added together, can generate significant overall sales or usage volume.

This concept is particularly evident in the world of online retail, where digital stores can offer a wide range of niche products to a highly diversified customer base.

The long tail has important implications for business and marketing strategies, encouraging companies to consider serving niche markets, customizing offerings, and leveraging consumer diversity to reach a broader customer base through a broader range of products or services.

History of the long tail theory

The history of the “long tail” theory is primarily associated with Chris Anderson, a well-known author and journalist who popularized this idea through an article published in 2004 and a subsequent book. Here is an overview of the history of the theory:

1. Chris Anderson’s Article (2004) : The long tail theory was first introduced by Chris Anderson in an article published in “Wired” magazine in 2004, titled “The Long Tail.” In this article, Anderson examined how the digital age and the internet-based economy were revolutionizing the entertainment industry, allowing consumers to access a wide range of niche and less popular content. He emphasized how, thanks to digital distribution, the market was evolving from the traditional “hit culture” to a “long tail culture.”
2. The Book “The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More” (2006) : Anderson further developed his theory in the book titled “The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More,” published in 2006. In the book, he explored in detail how this theory impacted a wide range of industries, including e-commerce, the music industry, publishing, and others. He demonstrated how the digital age had made it possible to serve a highly diverse customer base, opening up business opportunities in niche markets.
3. Practical Applications: After Anderson’s article and book were published, many marketers, entrepreneurs, and analysts began to apply the long tail concept in their business strategies. This led to the adoption of more personalized and consumer-oriented approaches, as well as the exploitation of the sales potential of niche products.
4. Success and Criticism: The long tail theory has received widespread acceptance, but it has not escaped criticism. Some believe that while it can be successfully applied in some situations, it may not work for all industries or markets. Others believe that, in some circumstances, the “head” of the market (popular products) continues to dominate the “tail” (niche products).

The long tail theory was initially applied to online commerce, where it was shown that a large number of niche products can generate significant sales volume.

The theory has since been applied to SEO, where it has been used to explain how niche keywords can generate qualified traffic and increase conversions.

The Importance of Long Tail in SEO

Long tail is an important SEO strategy for getting qualified traffic and increasing conversions. By identifying relevant niche keywords for your website and optimizing it for these keywords, you can improve your website’s visibility in search results and get real business results.

The “long tail” is of significant importance in SEO (Search Engine Optimization) for several reasons. Here is why it is relevant:

1. Traffic Diversity: Focusing only on the most popular keywords (the “head” of the tail) can be competitive and limiting. The long tail allows you to target a variety of niche keywords, each with a lower search volume, but when combined, can generate significant traffic. This reduces your dependency on a few keywords and increases traffic diversity.
2. Improved traffic quality: Visitors using long-tail keywords are often more specific and knowledgeable about what they are looking for. As a result, they are more likely to convert than visitors using more general keywords. This improves traffic quality and can lead to higher conversion rates.
3. Reduced Competition: Long-tail keywords are generally less competitive than short-tail keywords. This means that it can be easier to rank higher in search engines for these keywords. SEO efforts targeted at long-tail keywords can help you get results more quickly.
4. High-quality content: To optimize for the long tail, you often need to create high-quality, informative, and relevant content. This emphasizes the importance of providing content that meets the specific needs of your visitors and helps them solve their problems or answer their questions.
5. Navigation and User Experience: Long tail SEO can improve the overall user experience. It helps visitors find exactly what they are looking for and explore your website in a more targeted way. This can lead to increased engagement and retention.
6. Niche Targeting: If your website operates in a niche industry, long tail is especially relevant. This is because it allows you to reach highly targeted users who are looking for specific information or niche products. This is essential for success in niche markets.
7. Voice Search Adaptability: With the growing popularity of voice search devices, voice queries often contain more detail and are more similar to long-tail searches. Optimizing for the long tail can help you capture traffic from voice searches.

In short, long tail optimization is a key part of your SEO strategy. This approach allows you to diversify your traffic, improve the quality of your visitors, reduce competition, and provide a better user experience. Therefore, it is important to consider both short tail and long tail keywords to achieve optimal SEO results.

How to find long tail keywords

There are several tools that can be used to find long-tail keywords. One popular tool is Google Keyword Planner , which provides search volume and competition data for a variety of keywords. Another popular tool is SEMrush , which provides competition data for a variety of keywords and websites.

To find effective long tail keywords for your SEO strategy, you can follow these steps:

1. Understand your target audience: Before you begin keyword research, it is essential to have a clear understanding of your target audience. Ask yourself what questions they might have, what problems they want to solve, or what information they are looking for. This understanding will help you create an initial list of topics.
2. Use Keyword Research Tools: Use keyword research tools to generate ideas. Some popular tools include Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz Keyword Explorer, and Ubersuggest. Enter topics related to your industry or niche and get a list of associated and suggested keywords.
3. Analyze your competition: Take a look at your competitors’ websites and see what keywords they are targeting. This can give you an idea of ​​the long-tail keywords that are relevant to your industry. You can use competitor analysis tools to find out which keywords are driving traffic to your competitors.
4. Take advantage of “Related Search” : When you do a Google search, scroll down the results page. You’ll find a section labeled “Related Search.” These are often long-tail keywords related to the topic you searched for. Explore these options to get more ideas.
5. Use Google Autocomplete: When you start typing a query into Google, the search engine suggests autocompletes based on popular searches. These autocompletes can reveal relevant long-tail keywords.
6. Analyze forum threads and comments: Visit forums, discussion groups, and blogs in your industry or niche. Review questions posted by users and comments left. These spaces often contain specific questions that can be converted into long-tail keywords.
7. Create a list of potential keywords: Collect all the ideas you have gathered during your research. Make sure to include both short-tail and long-tail keywords. Later, you will evaluate which of these are most relevant to your strategy.
8. Use analytics tools: After you have created your list of potential keywords, use analytics tools to evaluate search volume, competitiveness, and relevance. Look for long-tail keywords with decent search volume but less intense competition.
9. Create Quality Content: After identifying relevant long-tail keywords, create high-quality content that answers your audience’s questions or needs. This content should be informative and provide value.
10. Monitor and adapt: ​​Keyword research is an ever-evolving process. Monitor the performance of your keywords and adjust your strategy accordingly. Keep an eye on search trends and new keyword opportunities.

Remember that the goal is to create content that is relevant to your audience and that meets their needs. Long tail keywords can be a key element in increasing organic traffic and improving your online presence.

How to choose long tail keywords

When choosing long tail keywords, it is important to consider the following factors:

• Relevance: Keywords must be relevant to the content of the website.
• Search Volume: Keywords must have sufficient search volume to generate significant traffic.
• Competition: Keywords should have relatively low competition to be easier to rank for.

How Long Tail Can Affect Your Google Rank

Long tail keywords can affect your Google ranking in a few ways. First, long tail keywords are often less competitive, which means they are easier to rank in search results. Second, long tail keywords can be more targeted, which means users who click on search results are more likely to be interested in the content of your website.

The long tail can positively impact your Google ranking in several ways:

1. Reduced competition: Long-tail keywords often have less competition than more general keywords. This means that it is easier to rank well in search results for specific, detailed keywords.
2. Improved relevance: Long-tail keywords are highly specific and therefore more relevant to user queries. Google values ​​content relevance, so using targeted keywords can improve your search rankings.
3. Highly Specific User Targeting: Long tail allows you to target users with very specific needs. This means you are trying to meet the needs of a highly targeted audience, which can lead to higher user satisfaction and better search rankings.
4. Increased Organic Traffic: Ranking well for many long tail keywords can dramatically increase your website’s overall organic traffic. While the traffic from any single keyword may be limited, the sum of many long tail keywords can have a significant impact.
5. Improved Domain Authority: Creating high-quality, relevant content for a wide range of long-tail keywords can help improve your website’s domain authority. In turn, a higher domain authority can positively impact your overall search rankings.
6. Responding to user needs: Google is always looking to improve the user experience, so websites that are better at answering user questions and specific needs tend to rank higher. Long-tail keywords are often more geared toward addressing specific user needs.
7. Quality Content Development: Targeting long tail keywords requires creating high quality and informative content. This not only helps your Google ranking but also your website’s image and reputation.

However, it is important to note that long-tail keywords can generate less traffic than more general keywords. Therefore, a balanced strategy that includes both long-tail keywords and head keywords is often the best solution for maximizing traffic and Google rankings.

Long Tail Keywords Examples

Here are some examples of long-tail keywords:

• How to travel low cost
• Lawyer specialized in family law
• How to choose a lawyer
• Restaurants in Milan with vegetarian cuisine
• How to make a business card
• Cheap Running Shoes
• How to clean the oven
• How to cook pasta in the oven
• How to travel to Italy
• How to change the oil in your car
• How to change your phone battery
• How to get a car insurance quote
• How to find a job
• How to learn a new language
• How to make money
• How to lose weight
• How to exercise