How Much Do Long Tail Keywords Impact SEO?

Keywords are an important part of SEO. While search engine optimisation is placing less of an emphasis on exact keywords and placement, they still influence ranking to some degree. As you build your content, you will need to place an emphasis on keywords that people use without over-doing it.

One of the best SEO tips is to use longer strings of keywords, rather than focusing on one or two-word ones. This helps you better target visitors and can help you improve your ranking. Use this quick guide to learn more about long tail keywords and how they can help your business.

What are Long Tail Keywords?

Long tail keywords are strings of keywords. They are usually between three and five words long. Each long tail keyword describes a very specific phrase, rather than a single keyword, which usually describes something in general. For example, website is a single keyword that would generate thousands of results on a variety of topics from development to marketing. How to create a website is a specific, long tail keyword that would generate far less results on similar topic. The best long tail keywords get even more specific, such as how to create a website for my B2B tech startup.

Why Do Search Engines Love Long Tail Keywords?

Search engine algorithms still place some emphasis on exact phrases and users are often very specific when they make a search. From a SEO standpoint, long tail keywords are an easy way to appeal to a highly specific crowed of people and boost your ranking on something very specific. Long tail keywords can also help you boost your ranking on multiple keywords and phrases. For example, how to get more leads for my tech company contains multiple keywords including get more leads and tech company.

Can My Website Survive without Long Tail Keywords?

The truth is that a website can survive without any SEO at all, provided they have an amazing reputation and marketing plan in place. In today's modern world; however, you cannot rely on this alone. Websites that do not focus on SEO can easily become buried and aren't getting the amount of traffic they could be getting. Why only survive when you can thrive?

Long tail keywords are a critical part of SEO because they help you better target the exact audience that you want. If you plan on using your content as part of a bigger marketing plan, you need to invest some time in finding the right long tail keywords for your market.

How Do I Use Long Tail Keywords in My Content?

Long tail keywords often work best as headers and titles of content. They should not be the only words in the title or header, but placing them there will make them the main keyword for your blog post, image or video. One of the best formulas is to use the long tail keyword once in the title, once in a header and once in the text of an article. Two or three supporting keywords should also be used once or twice in the text depending on your content's length.

Because long tail keywords are designed to target a very specific audience, you don't need to worry about using a lot of them in a single post. Focusing one long tail keyword for each post allows you to fine-tune your website and the traffic you are receiving, which can lead to a higher conversion rate even if you see a dip in traffic.

Here are some simple ways to figure out good keywords:

• Turn your most popular keywords into a question. Ex: How do I make a website?
• Target different buying phases. Ex: Where to make a website, the cheapest way to make a website.
• Think like your audience and use phrases they would. Ex: Can I make a website?
• Write what you want your audience to do. Ex: make a website instantly. Pay someone to make a website.

How Many Long Tail Keywords Do I Need for My Website?

The number of keywords you will need will depend on the size of your website. Small blogs on a single topic will repeat keywords fairly often as they try to appeal to a niche audience. Larger websites and authority blogs may cover a wider variety of topics and therefore need to emphasize a wider range of keywords to avoid redundancy.

For a small blog, selecting five or less long tail keywords is a great way to start. These keywords should all flow well together, but allow you to create a variety of unique content. For example, how to choose online business management services, outsourcing business management online, should I get an online accountant, cheap business accounting solutions,  and innovative ways to manage a business all appeal to the same audience but may use different angles within the content.

It is impossible to say what the perfect number of keywords is and there is no blanket solution when it comes to good keyword selection. By emphasizing long tail keywords, you are able to appeal to a select market without stuffing keywords into your content. This allows you to focus on the user experience and boost your ranking at the same time.

Long tail keywords can have a great impact on your traffic levels and allow you to target a more precise audience.