Doing long-tail keyword research is a great way to find the right keywords for your blog posts. Long-tail keywords are more specific, meaning they target a niche audience, and have less competition than short-tail keywords.
This opens up opportunities to rank higher in Google search results, driving more organic traffic to your website. When used correctly, long-tail keywords can really bolster your content strategy and give you an edge over competitors in your space.
But how do you go about doing long-tail keyword research? We’ll cover all the steps in this post.
Let’s start by learning about what long-tail keywords are and how to find out the best ones to develop your content strategy.
What Are Long-Tail Keywords?
Long-tail keywords are an excellent way to target a niche audience. They are longer than more generic keywords and typically contain 3-4 words.
Because these keywords have a lower search volume, their competition levels will also be lower, making it easier to get your content noticed.
For example, instead of targeting “free online courses” with your content, you could use something like “best free online course for learning French,” which is much more specific.
By utilizing long-tailed keywords in your content creation strategy, you can reach a more focused audience while increasing the chances of your content ranking higher in search engine results pages.
There are other benefits too:
• You can create content that is more relevant to your target audience.
• You can stand out from the competition and differentiate yourself with niche content.
• You have a better chance of converting visitors from search engine results pages since they are looking for something specific when searching for long-tail keywords.
But how do you find long-tail key phrases? We’ll explore this in the following section.
5 Ways To Find Long-Tail Keywords
Getting the right keywords and phrases involves using the right tools and thinking strategically.
Let’s look at several easy ways to find specific, relevant and longer key terms to use in your blog.
1. Check Out Google’s Autocomplete Feature
When it comes to content strategy, Google’s autocomplete feature in the search bar can be a great ally.
It can help you find relevant long-tail keywords you might not have thought about before.
Google’s Autocomplete feature can provide a wealth of valuable information when it comes to long-tail keyword research. When you type in your search query, Google will provide a list of related phrases and terms.
For example, when you go to Google’s search bar and type ‘beach rentals,’ Google also suggests things like ‘beach rentals at xyz location’ and ‘beach rentals zillow’.
You can then take these results and use them in your content.
These longer and more specific phrases are often easier to target compared to their shorter counterparts, as they tend to convert into better results.
Because of this, leveraging Google autocomplete when crafting an effective content strategy is always a good choice. You will be able to get the most out of popular searches by targeting these long-tail keywords and phrases instead of relying on competitive single words, which might be harder to rank for.
2. Use Answer The Public
This tip is related to the previous one. While using Google’s autocomplete suggestions is effective, it’s also time-consuming and too much manual effort. Instead, check out Answer The Public as a free keyword research tool.
Answer The Public is an incredibly useful free keyword research tool. You only need to enter one keyword, which will generate a list of related questions, keywords, and suggestions based on what people are asking about that keyword.
The way Answer The Public works is by compiling Google’s autocomplete suggestions.
Using the same ‘beach rentals’ example as before, Answer the Public compiles almost all possible combinations of keywords based on alphabets, prepositions and more.
You get a goldmine of key terms with lower search volume but are highly specific and useful.
If you create content for several of these terms, you’ll get traffic that adds up and a number of other benefits for your website.
You can also use these terms to understand people’s more obscure needs. All-in-all, it’s a powerful content planning tool that will feed your marketing strategy.
3. Work With Search Engine Optimization or SEO Tools
Popular tools like Ahrefs, KWFinder, SEMrush and others are essential SEO tools for leveraging long-tail keywords that will improve your website visibility.
These platforms make the whole process of finding keywords much easier, from quickly gathering insight into the competitive keyword market to giving you accurate data on what keywords are being searched online.
I recommend first researching a high-level keyword on one of these SEO platforms. For example, let’s try the term ‘vegan leather’ and look at the basic results that show up on UberSuggest.
You get a high search volume term that is also difficult to rank for. It’s also not budget-friendly if you want to use ads.
But when we explore ‘Keyword Ideas’ for the same term in UberSuggest, we get long-tail key phrases with lower search volume. But they’re also super specific and help you target audiences that are ready to take action.
When you look for related terms, you get ideas like ‘vegan leather pants’ and more.
SEO tools are expensive, but if you’re serious about content marketing, they’re a necessary investment.
There are many useful research tools available but stick to one that matches your needs and budget. You can look for premium tools and plans when you want to target more difficult keywords and take on a competitor with a strong online presence.
4. Check Out Q&A Sites
Q&A sites like Quora and Yahoo! Answers are a great way to get an inside scoop on what people are looking for when it comes to specific topics.
Not only can they give you access to real-time search insights, but they can also provide invaluable insight into the types of questions being asked about a certain topic.
If someone asks about camera lenses, you’ll get ideas about different contexts, products, needs and more.
A search for camera lenses on Quora brings up interesting terms like ‘cell phone camera lens’ and ‘how do camera lenses work’ and more.
You get inspiration for many keywords, especially long-tail ones.
Plus, you can often find additional sources of information by looking at the answers given. For example, if someone asks what type of camera lenses to buy, you may find useful reviews from photography enthusiasts in the answers.
This kind of in-depth research helps unearth long-tail keywords that uncover your target audience’s exact needs and interests. Additionally, users will often include clickable links within their answers, which lead directly to relevant websites or articles – making your research even easier.
5. Use Google Search Console Reports
One of the basic activities you need to do is connect your website to Google Search Console (GSC) and use Google Analytics.
Once you create content, get your website indexed and connect your site to Google Search Console, you’ll start getting reports. These reports will tell you how many impressions and clicks your content earns monthly.
You’ll learn which pages get the most clicks and what keywords they appear in search results for.
This is important because, very often, you’ll learn that your content will rank for terms you never thought of. You can then choose to further optimize existing posts for such terms or create entirely new posts on these specific terms.
For example, if you wrote a blog post targeting a generic keyword like ‘writing tools,’ you may get some feedback from GSC that your post is appearing as a result of ‘Google Docs for writing.’
And now you have useful information about what to focus on next! Write a new blog post only about using Google Docs for writing, or add a section in your current post that covers this topic better.
Bonus Tip: You should know that SEO tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush and some others will also send similar reports to help you find unique keywords your content ranks for.
Conclusion
Long tail keywords are a great way to target specific audiences who are ready and willing to take action. They offer more precise targeting, lower competition for search engine rankings and often result in higher conversion rates.
When you use tools like UberSuggest or Quora to find long-tail keyword ideas, it can give you access to real-time search insights that help uncover the exact needs of your audience.
Additionally, connecting your website with Google Search Console will provide valuable information about which terms your content is appearing as a result of so that you can optimize existing posts accordingly or create entirely new ones on those topics.
With these tips in hand, you’ll be well equipped to start leveraging the power of long-tail keywords. So, don’t wait and get started with finding the right keywords and creating an impactful content strategy.
