what is a long-tail keyword and why does it matter for seo digital marketing agency them you and me

What is a long-tail keyword and why does it matter for SEO?

When it comes to SEO, it all comes down to keywords. 

A keyword is a word or phrase that best describes the content of your web page or blog post. It’s what you want that page to rank for on Google. 

Say, for example, you’re an online business making gluten-free cakes and confectionery to order.

If a user wanted to order gluten-free chocolate cake online, simply typing ‘cake’ or even ‘chocolate cake’ into the Google search bar would not help them find your business. This is because these keywords are too broad. Also, with such keywords, your page will never rank high on the Google search engine results pages (SERPs) as there is a lot of competition (this is especially true if you’re a small business or start-up).

Search intent is very important in this regard and must be considered before selecting your keyword. Search intent or user intent identifies the purpose of the search.

A keyword such as ‘gluten-free chocolate cake’ narrows things down, but again, does not focus on user intent. When typed into Google, the SERPs could show anything from recipes for gluten-free chocolate cake to pre-packaged cake mixes. 

Hence, it helps to choose a keyword that is in line with what your customer is looking for. Think of a longer keyword; one that a customer will type into the Google Search tab to get a result for a very precise enquiry, such as ‘Order gluten-free chocolate cake online’. A long-tail keyword like this one would put you high on the SERPs with other businesses that are catering to this niche. 

With long-tail keywords, you have a better chance of appearing in front of the customers who are actively shopping for what you provide. While they will draw less traffic to your website, they will comprise the audience you’re looking for. It will also be closer to a point of purchase, which means the return on your investment will be proportionally much higher. 

Note: Having a large volume of people visit your website is not the goal. It is attracting those who are looking to buy your product or service. 

At Them You & Me Digital, we enjoy optimizing websites for SEO to improve your online visibility by obtaining a better ranking on Google. You can get in touch with us if you have any questions.

You can also visit our website to learn about our other services. 

*Please consider our content as recommendations and not concepts to apply as is, without questioning it. Every business is unique, so find the solution and strategy that works especially for you. You may keep what you need and disregard what you don’t.

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