The prevalence of keywords in SEO content creation is old news. However, chances are that you may not be using keywords to their fullest potential and that, as a result, your website or blog may be lagging behind. The problem with keywords is that they tend to be generic and broad. Hundreds, if not thousands of other websites and blog posts, will be using these short-tail keywords and this means greater competition. If you rely only on short-tail keywords, you will be among these competitors, all vying for the same readers and possibly getting lost in the process.
The solution to reducing competition in this arena is to get more specific, and this involves long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords enable you to tailor search items specific to your business, as opposed to those that would be common across your industry. For example, say you’re a musical instrument dealer. If you use a keyword like “guitars,” you are unlikely to get anywhere near the top of a search result list. However, if you focus on a speciality, say “vintage collectible Gibson”, you have now created a long-tail keyword and placed yourself into a far narrower search bracket. The word “guitar” may have a search volume numbering in the millions, while “vintage collectible Gibson” may be searched less than 100 times in the same period. What this means is that you’ve reduced your search competition by a pretty respectable order of magnitude.
Focusing on your unique selling point (USP) is an old idea in marketing. The concept of the long-tail keyword takes the USP into the digital realm, enabling you to differentiate yourself from your hordes of competitors. It requires you to think deeper about your business and refine your offerings, an effort that is sure to be rewarded with higher search engine rankings.
Contact WSI to assist you in creating a winning SEO strategy.