Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a solid alternative to paid traffic. No, it won’t replace good old PPC campaigns any time soon, as the latter delivers results quicker and in a more predictable fashion. However, they both work best when used in tandem, as PPC is short-term oriented, while SEO is more suitable for long distances.
Still, SEO can become a Herculean effort, when targeting the words with intense competition, e.g., Summer Olympics. Besides, such general phrases attract all kinds of people, some of which are not into making any purchases.
That’s why it’s important to focus your strategy on long-tail keywords, especially now when targeted advertising is nothing but mainstream. In this article, we’ll go into the specifics of hunting down the long-tail keywords and why they matter. Strap in, another chapter of SEO exploration at HilltopAds commences!
Long-Tail Keywords Explained
Long-tail keywords are like hashtags on social media, but in the world of SEO. On YouTube, creators often use trending words to generate click-bait titles and/or hashtags, making their content more visible both for AI algorithms and ordinary people. Popular YouTubers like Mr.Beast, PewDiePie, A4, TheRussianBadger, and PyroCynical excel at presenting the truth in a clickbait way.
Long-tail keywords follow a similar logic. However, unlike the short-tail keywords, the long ones are more specific and less generic. The competition there is milder, which is why it’s easier to rank for something precise. As an added bonus, the users generated this way are less likely to bounce, as the content has a higher chance to match their needs.
This technique benefits small businesses, who must compete with mastodons in their industry. True, PPC advertising is a viable option on its own for better brand exposure. However, when used jointly with SEO, you ensure your brand awareness stays high in the long run, saving immensely on monetary costs.
When it comes to PPC, partner with HilltopAds for maximum efficiency. We provide only premium traffic, tailored to your specific offer. Our managers work relentlessly to make sure your funnels function like clockwork. Join us now to try out various ad formats, zones & feeds, and tools to ease your campaign creation (precise tracking, advanced targeting, RTB, anti-AdBlock, and more).
Long-tail keywords are easier to rank for. Of course, ideally, you should mix them with the short-tail ones in your SEO strategy. But let’s stick to the topic of the long-tails for the time being, so how do you rank for them? How to discover the right keywords for you to implement?
Finding Long-Tail Keywords
Initially, it might seem hard to guess what the people are looking for. However, there are a few ways to figure out the users’ wishes, so that you can cater your SEO strategy to their needs better. Let’s go through some of such ways.
The most popular search engine in the world also provides quite a few tools to ease one’s search for keywords.
First off, there is Google autocomplete. Simply type in a search bar your primary keyword, the one related to your vertical. Then the autocomplete feature will indicate what type of requests people usually make. From there, your job is to analyze the requests and deduce your ideal long-tail keywords, so that your website answers these queries exactly.
Secondly, there is the “People also ask” section, slightly underneath the main tab. Refer to it to find readily available queries that people ask.
A perfect alternative is to scroll down to the bottom of the search engine result page (SERP), where “People also search for” resides. Related searches can give you more personalized suggestions and inspire some good ideas.
Finally, you can do research for your SEO campaign using Google Trends. It will show “interest over time” based on a search volume, and in the “Queries” section you will find unpopular terms.
Internet Sites
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Instead, you can visit the websites of your competitors to see which words they’re using and how they place them. It should be noted that short-tail words are easier to find than long-tail ones.
You can also check out forums and Q&A websites to see what people search for in there. Social media platforms, like Facebook, Instagram, and X, are a good place to understand the language your audience speaks and apply it to your SEO strategy.
Both options are good for manual search. However, let’s not forget about automated keyword research tools, speaking of which…
Keyword Research Tools
Searching for keywords can be a pain in the neck, either if you don’t know where to look or don’t have the right tools. We’ve already covered Google and various internet platforms, which is why it’s about time to dig deeper into the automation territory and cover some useful tools for finding keywords, long-tail ones included.
- Ubersuggest
A free Chrome extension and a powerful SEO tool, showing you keywords monthly search volume, cost-per-click (CPC), and competition data. Works not only with Google, but also YouTube, Amazon, and many more sites. - Answer The Public
An audience research and search-listening tool that helps you uncover the questions people ask Google on different topics. - Soovle
An online tool for searching suggested and similar keywords from various search engines at the same time. It provides fast keyword suggestions for up to 15 search engines simultaneously.
While honest work is good work, nothing beats some innocent corporate espionage, the next three parts of this section.
Ahrefs
Ahrefs advertises as an all-in-one SEO toolset,
Ahrefs has been operating for more than 10 years, which makes it the most active web crawler among all SEO tools. 64% of SEO professionals trust Ahrefs’ link data over its competitors, and 67% of SEO professionals use Ahrefs’ Domain Rating as their SEO metric of choice.
As for the tools, you will have:
- Site Explorer to analyze competitors.
- Site Audit to check and optimize your website.
- Keywords Explorer to find keywords in which potential customers might be interested.
- Content Explorer to find new ideas for content and link opportunities.
- Rank Tracker to oversee ranking progress.
Besides the free option, where you get limited access to Site Explorer & Site Audit, Starter ($29 per month), and Enterprise (annually only, starting at $14,990 per year), Ahrefs offers monthly and annual payment plans. Monthly:
- Lite: starts at $129 per month
- Standard: starts at $249 per month
- Advanced: starts at $449 per month
Annually (with this option, you get two months free):
- Lite: starts at $108 per month
- Standard: starts at $208 per month
- Advanced: starts at $374 per month
Moz
Moz creates tools for SEO, content marketing, market research, and digital Public Relations (PR).
Moz offers a wide variety of free and paid tools to satisfy every digital marketing need and more. For example, with Moz you can learn SEO with its guides for beginners, on-demand webinars, upskill, and be certified in Moz Academy.
Usually, when companies offer free tools to their users, the freebies are bound to have basic info. That’s not the case with Moz, however, as they offer the following:
- Keyword Explorer (limited to three searches a day, and you need to solve CAPTCHA first)
- Link Explorer
- Competitive Research
- MozBar (extension for Chrome that examines and analyzes important search, social, and page metrics of any website you visit)
- Check your Online Presence
- Domain Analysis (limited to three searches a day)
- MozCast (daily “weather patterns” of the Google algorithm)
The neat thing is, besides MozBar, everything works right on the Moz website. Alternatively, you can start a free 30-day trial of Moz Pro.
With paid products, this is what you can choose and their corresponding plans:
Moz Pro (all-in-one SEO essentials):
- Starter: $49 per month ($39 per month if paying annually, saving 20%)
- Standard: $99 per month ($79 per month if paying annually, saving 20%)
- Medium: $179 per month ($143 per month if paying annually, saving 20%)
- Large: $299 per month ($239 per month if paying annually, saving 20%)
Moz API (power SEO with an index of over 44 trillion links):
- Starter: from $5 to $75 per month
- Growth: from $125 to $500 per month
- Advanced: starting at $2,000 per month
- Enterprise: starting at $10,000 per month
Moz Local (raise the local SEO visibility with complete local SEO management):
- Lite: $14 per month ($17 per month for the UK)
- Preferred: $20 per month ($24 per month for the UK)
- Elite: $33 per month ($38 per month for the UK)
Semrush
Semrush is used for keyword research, competitive analysis, site audits, backlink tracking, and comprehensive online visibility insights.
Semrush is an award-winning toolset that is trusted by the world’s leading companies. As of writing this article, 10 million marketing professionals have already used Semrush. It has earned 21 international awards as the best SEO software suite. Moreover, Fortune 500 companies use Semrush as their go-to marketing tool.
Here are some of the features and possibilities, that you will get with Semrush:
- SEO to grow organic traffic with a complete and easy toolset.
- Content Marketing to create ranking content without any special knowledge.
- Market Research to unveil the marketing tactics and strategy of your competitors.
- Advertising to find out how to spend less and reach more prospects.
- Social Media to build the most effective social media strategy.
- Agency Solutions to streamline your agency processes for growth.
Some of Semrush’s customers compare it to a keyword research tool: Google Trends, Moz, Hootsuite, and SimilarWeb, but in one nice package. And no wonder, because you have more than 55 tools and reports on Semrush to solve your marketing challenges.
Like with any other service, Semrush gives an option of monthly and annual payments. Here’s the price checklist for the monthly option::
- Pro: $139.95 per month
- Guru $249.95 per month
- Business $499.95 per month
Additionally, you can get 7 days of full access to all toolkits for free.
Annually (you can save up to 17%):
- Pro: $117.33 per month
- Guru $208.33 per month
- Business $416.66 per month
Please note that with annual payment, you do not have the option of a 7-day free trial.
Things to Keep an Eye On
At the beginning of the article, we found out that long-tail keywords are extremely helpful, especially for small businesses. You avoid clashing with the industry behemoths, it is easier to find an audience, and visitors are more likely to buy your products.
But you can not just throw a bunch of keywords and think that everything will work out by itself. First of all, Google’s algorithms know how to detect mindless spam, and all that research will lead to nothing.
Second, avoid keyword cannibalization. This issue, first of all, hurts you, as a marketer. In this situation, the website’s pages are filled with similar keywords and compete with each other for search engine rankings.
There is no universally acceptable truth on how to write SEO content. However, a good rule of thumb is to use one keyword per 1,000 words, unless the text is very specific and phenomenon-focused, e.g., “What Amazon Shopping is not”.
Conclusion
Leveraging long-tail keywords is an effective strategy for improving your SEO and gaining affordable, targeted traffic. Unlike short-tail keywords, which are often highly competitive and attract a broad audience, long-tail keywords enable you to reach a more specific, motivated user base. This can be particularly beneficial for small businesses competing with industry giants.
By utilizing tools such as Google autocomplete, “People also ask”, and various keyword research platforms like Ubersuggest, Ahrefs, Moz, and Semrush, you can discover and implement long-tail keywords tailored to your niche. This approach not only enhances your SEO efforts but also ensures a better alignment with user intent, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.
Remember, combining your SEO strategy with PPC campaigns can yield the best results, offering both immediate visibility and sustained organic growth. Focus on crafting high-quality, relevant content that addresses the needs of your audience while avoiding pitfalls like keyword cannibalization and spammy practices. With careful planning and execution, long-tail keywords can significantly boost your online presence and drive meaningful, cost-effective traffic to your website.
