article: what is long tail search?

source: wordtracker

No, we're not talking about the primates at your local zoo. By "long tail", we're referring to the typically longer keyword phrases that are very specific to what your website is selling and what people are looking for. These phrases differ from the more basic, primary keywords that are heavily searched (cleverly called the "head"). For example:

Head Keyword                 Long Tail Keyword
mountain climbing             California mountain climbing tours
laundry detergent              environmentally-friendly laundry detergent
hardwood floors                 recycled pine flooring
cribs                                   convertible wood baby cribs

The addition of long tail of search terms is fundamental to your search marketing success. They have less competition and give you a much better chance of ranking highly in the search engines. And that means more visibility for your website.

PLUS... people who search online using long tail keywords are far more likely to become buyers! These specific keywords trigger significantly higher conversions than general terms and phrases.

Something else that may surprise you...

The long tail of a keyword represents a far greater number of searches than the head. In fact the top 100 keywords account for just 5.7% of all website traffic - while long tail keywords account for the remaining 94.3%!

If you're not targeting long-tail keywords, you're missing out on potential traffic.

So what does the long tail mean for you? It means you can generate a lot more highly targeted traffic. Since there are so many potential long tail combinations that searchers may use to find what you offer, you'll likely need to create more pages on your website. Luckily for you, Google - the world's most popular search engine - loves sites with plenty of pages, and tends to reward them with higher rankings! So go ahead, wag the long tail!

BrightWay provides search optimization services to help you website get found. If you'd like to know more, click and fill out a request for a complimentary marketing consultation.