Long tail keyword research is a search engine optimization (SEO) technique employed to improve a website’s visibility in search engines by targeting specific search terms or phrases. It revolves around identifying long tail keywords—search phrases usually composed of three or more words that are highly specific to a website’s work, product or content. Several reliable sources, such as Neil Patel and Moz.com, recognize and extensively discuss the principles and strategies regarding long tail keyword research.
Neil Patel, an influential digital marketer, describes long tail keywords as significant for businesses due to their ability to reach a specific target audience and attract high-quality website traffic. For example, instead of targeting a popular keyword with high search volume like “shoes,” a shoe business may identify and target the long tail keyword “red leather running shoes for women.” This keyword has lesser search volume but is more specific and is likely to draw more “qualified” traffic—users who seek exactly what the website offers and are therefore more likely to convert.
The rationale behind this approach is summed up in “The Long Tail Theory” by Chris Anderson, former editor of Wired magazine. According to this theory, our culture is shifting away from mainstream products and markets at the head of the demand curve, towards a vast number of niches in the tail. Applying the same to SEO, while a small number of common keywords will often account for a significant volume of searches, the sum of the volume of less common, more specific keywords (long-tail keywords) often equal or even surpass these common keywords.
Moz.com, another trusted resource in the SEO field, advocates for the use of tools such as Google’s Keyword Planner, Moz’s Keyword Explorer, or SEMrush for conducting long tail keyword research. These tools reveal potential keywords related to a central theme, allowing businesses to expand their keyword list and bring more organic traffic to their site.
Ahrefs.com further substantiates the importance of long tail keyword research for SEO by presenting various techniques to identify and validate these phrases. It suggests the use of Google Autocomplete, which suggests popular search queries, and “Searches related to,” which Google provides at the bottom of search pages, to discover potential long tail keywords.
While long tail keyword research is more complex due to its demand for specificity, Mike Murray from Content Marketing Institute recommends iterative keyword research—refining and revising long tail keywords over time—to drive more organic traffic.
In conclusion, long tail keyword research is a proven SEO technique that helps businesses improve their visibility on search engines by targeting specific, less common search terms/phrases. This strategy not only boosts the quantity but also the quality of website traffic, thereby enhancing the potential for conversions. Reliable sources and tools like Neil Patel, Moz.com, Ahrefs.com, and Google’s Keyword Planner can provide invaluable support for such research.
