If you’re a local business in a particularly competitive category, have a limited marketing budget, and/or limited domain authority; you may want to consider incorporating long-tail keyword tactics into your search marketing strategy.
A long-tail keyword strategy is characterized by search term specificity, lower search volumes, but higher conversion rates. This keyword strategy typically includes longer phrases that target a niche audience, leading to less competition and more qualified traffic.
Example businesses that might want to consider this tactic include plumbers, electricians, HVAC, auto repair, and medical and legal services, among others.
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So, what is long-tail search?
This search strategy focuses on targeting long-tail keywords in both search engine optimization (SEO) and paid search engine marketing (SEM) to attract a more specific and potentially higher converting audience. A long tail search strategy is most applicable for businesses with limited resources, new websites, or those targeting niche markets. This tactic offers a way to attract highly targeted traffic and improve conversion rates with less competition. Targeting a smaller audience who you might signal clear intent or a position further down the sales funnel, can be a very effective strategy.
Consider a hypothetical local business, a pet grooming service specializing in specific breeds and services. Instead of aiming to rank for the broad and competitive term “pet grooming”, they would focus on more specific and targeted phrases that capture a narrower but highly relevant audience.
Here are some tactics our local pet grooming service could use:
- Targeting Specific Breed Needs: They could target terms like “mobile dog grooming large breeds apartment friendly” or “grooming salon for hypoallergenic dogs near Keene”. This allows them to connect with pet owners seeking specialized care for their particular type of dog or cat.
- Focusing on Unique Service Offerings: They could leverage long-tail keywords such as “pet nail trimming service for nervous dogs” or “luxury spa treatment weekend for pets”. This might attract clients looking for specialized pampering or care for their furry companions.
- Incorporating Location-Specific Terms: To improve local SEO, they could include their city or neighborhood in keywords. For instance, “pet grooming services in Westmoreland”. This helps to target and focus on reaching customers within their service area.
- Creating Relevant Content: Our pet grooming service might create long-tail blog posts with titles like “tips for grooming long-haired cat breeds” or “benefits of regular teeth cleaning for your dog”. These posts, optimized with relevant long-tail keywords, attract visitors searching for very specific needs and help to establish the business as an authority in pet grooming.
By utilizing these long-tail keyword tactics, the pet grooming service would attract highly-targeted traffic with a higher likelihood of conversion, differentiate themselves from competitors, and ultimately growth their local business.
A long-tail keyword strategy can help local businesses compete with larger companies by allowing them to target specific, niche searches with less keyword competition and higher conversion rates, albeit on smaller volumes. Instead of trying to outbid and outrank larger advertisers with bigger budgets on high volume keywords (like “restaurant”), they can focus on long-tail keywords (like “best Italian restaurant near me with outdoor seating”). This approach attracts more qualified leads, increases the likelihood of conversions, and can lead to better search engine rankings, even with less budget and fewer resources.
It is important to note that both SEO and SEM can be effectively utilized together in a long-tail keyword strategy. Long-tail keywords, which tend to be longer and more specific phrases, are a valuable part of both SEO and SEM approaches. By incorporating them into both organic and paid search efforts, businesses can maximize their reach and impact.
Further, a long-tail search strategy can effectively complement a traditional search strategy, creating a well-rounded and more impactful approach. While a traditional approach typically uses broad keywords and might attract general interest, integrating long-tail keywords allows your business to directly address specific search queries, leading to increased engagement and higher user satisfaction and conversions.
If you’ve developed a full-funnel integrated marketing plan, long-tail keywords are most effective in the conversion stage of the sales funnel. The longer and more specific phrases indicate a higher level of buyer intent, meaning the user is closer to making a purchase.
Data on long-tail keyword tactics indicate the effectiveness of the strategy due to their ability to attract targeted traffic with high purchase intent. Data indicates that pages ranking for long-tail keywords often experience higher time-on-page, lower bounce rates, and significantly better conversion rates compared to those ranking for short, generic keywords. For example, one study found that long-tail traffic converts at a rate of 2.5 to 5 times higher than generic keyword traffic. Furthermore, long-tail keywords generally cost less than generic keywords in paid advertising campaigns. This is because long-tail keywords, being more specific, have less bidding competition, leading to lower cost-per-click prices and a better return-on-investment.
To learn more about long-tail search strategies, search engine marketing and search engine optimization, we encourage you to give us a call at 603-352-5896 or email Advertising@SentinelDigitalSolutions.com.
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