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Tapping Into Traffic With Long Tail Keywords

By: Jeff Alderson Locating a website owner who doesn't want to see an increase in traffic is something akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Increased traffic can equal more sales, more readers and more advertising revenue. Tapping into the power of long tail keywords has become the latest craze for making this happen, and rightfully so.

The theory behind long tail keyword comes from a Wired Magazine article in which Chris Anderson spoke of the benefits of catering to the minority. Rather than selling high-demand products, Anderson suggested that in going for niche items their collective sales could outperform more popular products. The theory translates quite nicely for website owners, as well.

Before diving into the concept, it helps to understand what long tail keywords are. They are nothing more than longer keyword phrases that people use during their Internet searches to help them find sites of interest. Rather than single keywords that most website owners and managers are used to optimizing for, the long tail involves the less frequently searched keyword phrases. These keywords tend to be more focused and targeted than a single world search. They also tend to reflect exactly what a searcher needs to find. So, in essence, they are the "niche."

The idea here involves taking advantage of the way people actually use search engines when they want very specific information. Instead of landing on a site with cursory information about a topic, a user that inputs phrases is more likely to find sites that fit the specific need. A person looking for information on the cast for a specific television show, for example, might type in the show's name. Or, they might include the words "cast list," "cast and crew" or "actors in" for example. These particular terms generally don't have the competition for ranking that other search terms might. This means it might be easier for a site owner to obtain traffic based on the new keyword phrases.

Long tail keywords don't work exactly the same way that more popular keywords might, but they can be rather effective. By working to drive smaller, steady streams of traffic to a website, long tail keywords can pay off with increased traffic, conversions and even search engine rankings. These words make it easier to compete and lead where the competition isn't as high.

Understanding how long tail keywords work is one thing. Actually making them work for a website is another. There are a few ways to go about this.

Tracking programs like HitTail can be very helpful for this. It works by analyzing specific sites and making suggestions on potential long tail keywords. While it is not always 100% effective, it is very useful. Another method involves taking what keywords visitors themselves type into the search engines. These phrases can be naturals for use as long tail keywords. A program like Ad Word Analyzer provides this type of keyword data.

There are a couple of other ways to pick the right words. Looking at the competition and seeing the words they use can help quite a lot. So, too, can simply adding to a site in a natural way by filling it with content that is useful, relevant and includes long tail keywords that feel like a natural fit for the site.

Getting started in optimizing a website with long tail keywords isn't very difficult. Most people suggest looking at competition sites to see what they do and then figuring out the best phrases to use in the optimization process. Next comes a need to increase content that could help in tapping into the traffic. And of course, do consider using keyword tools to speed up the research process.

Increasing traffic on a long-term and steady basis takes work. It's not necessarily a snap, but it is ceratinly worth the effort. Long tail keywords can make this happen.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

About the author: Jeff Alderson is a Florida based software developer. He is an expert on PPC and SEO strategies. To boost sales, Jeff suggests using a keyword tool to uncover money-making keywords
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