Mapping Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords and short tail keywords: terms you’ve probably come across if you’ve ever done any keyword research. With keyword research, you find out what your website visitor would like to read. You apply the keywords that emerge from your keyword research to the content on your website. Finding the right keywords is an indispensable step in a successful SEO strategy.

What exactly are keywords?

You have probably looked up something on Google (or another search engine). We call the text you type in the search bar of search engine keywords. Examples of keywords are: ‘Philips vacuum cleaner’ or ‘Summer holiday Greece’. After you’ve entered a search query, Google will search for the web pages and websites that best match the keywords (or search terms) of your query.

The keywords you use in the content of your website largely determine the type of visitors that come to your website. If you run a football webshop, you want people to find you for keywords like ‘men’s football boots’, ‘women’s shin guards, etc. You want to prevent people from finding you on ‘football matches’ because then they are probably looking for different things than what you offer with your webshop. If you want your web page to appear at the top of the SERP (Search Engine Results Page) of your potential customer, or the results page, it is very important to map out the right search terms.

The difference between short tail keywords and long-tail keywords
Keywords can be divided into different categories: short-tail keywords and long-tail keywords. Short tail keywords are general keywords that often consist of 1 or 2 words. These keywords often have a high search volume on Google, which means that many people search for them. Scoring well in the SERP for these keywords is relatively more difficult because with short tail keywords you usually have to deal with a lot of competition due to the high search volume on these search terms.

Long-tail keywords are specific keywords that often consist of 3 words and in some cases a whole sentence. Long-tail keywords often have a relatively low search volume on Google because fewer people search for them. The competition from other websites that want to score on long-tail keywords is often (not always) lower, making it easier to score well in the SERP. Google users who use long-tail keywords in their searches often already know what they are looking for. Therefore, long keywords usually deliver more conversions than short-tail keywords. It is good to know that no less than 70% of all searches consist of long-tail keywords.

Because the competition for long keywords is a lot lower, starting websites can best apply this for their search engine optimization. For example, with a starting website, you can score more easily on the results page of Google and benefit from an ROI faster.

Finding long-tail keywords: different ways

We can now say that long-tail keywords can yield positive results in your SEO results. You use long-tail keywords in your content, for example by writing blogs about these topics. But first, you need to map out the long-tail keywords that apply to you. This can be done in various ways.

1. Google autosuggest

If you type a search query into the Google search bar, you automatically get all kinds of suggestions. Google determines these suggestions based on other people’s previous searches. You can therefore assume that these are frequently used keywords.

Once you have performed a search, you will arrive at the results page. At the bottom of the results page, you will find even more suggestions from Google, namely the related searches.

2. Check your competitors

Relevant competitors that score well on Google can be seen as ‘best practices. Take a look at the competitors who offer the same products. Then see which competitors score well on Google. Ask yourself the following questions:

✓ Which long-tail keywords do they use?
✓ Do the long-tail keywords match?
✓ Where long-tail keywords are relevant to your website?

Write down relevant keywords while researching your competitors. That way you know exactly which keywords you can get started with.

3. SEO Tools for Keyword Research

Several keyword research tools help marketers find the right keywords. For example, Google offers a free Keyword Planner. Other commonly used tools are SE Ranking and Semrush. With these tools, you can easily and quickly get new ideas for long keywords. You will also immediately see all kinds of information about the suggested keywords, such as search volume and the estimated difficulty of ranking well on Google.

4. Listen carefully to your customers’ questions

Listening to the needs of your (potential) customer is perhaps one of the most important ways to find out long-tail keywords. If you notice that customers have a specific question that is not answered in other places, it is smart to respond to this. This way you attract specific visitors to your website.

But how do you find out what your customers want to know? That’s actually quite simple. Remember the questions that customers ask you personally, via one of your social media channels or to customer service by, for example, writing them down. If you find that the same question is frequently asked, you can write a blog where you address the question.

Another way to find out what your customers want to know is to check out forums. When people have a hard time finding answers to their questions, some people post these questions on forums.

5. Find FAQ on Answer The Public

Searches in Google are increasingly formulated in question form. This also has to do with the speaking function. People ask their questions to Google and immediately get thousands of answers. That is why it is important to find out what questions your target group has. We already mentioned the way to write down questions that customers ask you. But as a starting website, your reach may not yet be large enough, so that potential customers do not immediately come to you with their questions.

Fortunately, there is also another way to find out frequently asked questions, namely with Answer The Public. Answer The Public is a keyword tool where you can find many long-tail keywords. As soon as you do a search (it only has to be a word), you automatically get dozens of suggestions. Please note: with the free version you only have 3 searches per day.

7. Check Google Search Console

Google Search Console is specially designed to help you rank in Google search results. Google’s free service provides insights into your website’s performance and how to improve your results. Through this service, you will not immediately receive new suggestions for long-tail keywords, but you can see which current keywords are doing well and where you are found. If you click through on a keyword, you will see extensive information such as your position on the results page. Google Search Console provides insight into the performance of your website, which you can immediately respond to.