In Part 1 we explained what Short Tail keywords are, using the example “raisins.” Short Tail keywords can bring large amounts of traffic but not necessarily significant ROI because they arent ‘buying’ keywords, which indicate a user looking to complete an action.
Long Tail Keywords are keyword phrases consisting of 2 words or more, usually being exensions of a short tail keyword. Using the raisins example, Long Tail variations are:
– California Raisins
– California Raisins Supplier
– California Raisins Suppliers
Using the longest keyphrase, “California Raisins Suppliers” has less than 90,000 websites competing for rankings, and the top results on the first page includes supplier websites that trade raisins, such as alibaba.com and californiaraisins.co.uk.
This example Long Tail keyword has two major positives over its Short Tail Father (raisins):
– Less competition therefore more probable chance of achieving rankings in a realistic timeframe
– Top ranking websites are trade websites which aim to complete buying actions, rather than supply information
By focusing on these types of Long Tail variations in the early stages of a transparent and ethical seo campaign, we build the base to achieve Short Tail rankings over time. Find out how next week :-).