Even a few years back, long-tail keywords were considered to be one of the most effective ways of gaining search traffic. It was easier to achieve rankings, there was lower competition and optimization for pages targeting such keywords was comparatively simpler. Naturally, it was the darling of every search engine company.

Six years have passed since the concept of long-tail keywords was embraced and used liberally by the world of SEO. However, of late, it seems that people have totally forgotten this pot of gold. It could be because of Google’s dreaded Penguin and Panda updates but the fact is they are still effective and can still be a powerful way of leveraging search traffic, particularly with the rising craze over “head or core keywords.

What is a Long Tail Keyword?

Long-tail keywords are essentially those keywords that are less popular because their search volume as well as competition to rank for is significantly less. Take a look at these two examples: ‘how to get rid of depression’ and ‘home remedies for bed bugs’. These are typical examples of such key phrases as compared to attempting to rank for the more competitive search terms ‘depression’ or ‘bed bugs’.

Search Trends

It is increasingly becoming apparent that Google is aimed at becoming a destination for individuals for getting answers. Its current focus is on Google Now, at least on the mobile front. It is a system that provides you with answers in natural language via voice commands. This implies that today’s web surfers will gradually voice or type in their queries on Google. Sure, a staggering number of people will still look up ‘bed bug remedies but there will also be a considerable number of individuals likely to type or ask on Google ‘what are the home remedies for bed bugs’. This is precisely why long-tail keywords are gradually making a comeback in search engine optimization and any search engine company worth its salt is using it to its full capacity.

Better Conversions

A long-tail keyword can instantly make you understand user intent. Majority of SEO professionals concentrate more on getting a top ranking for a webpage. But, for the website owner, that is only half the job done. The final aim, in almost all cases, is increasing conversions i.e. prompt people to click, buy, subscribe or perform some action that translates into revenue for the owner.Long-tail keywords are strikingly revealing. There is no need to run A/B tests or depend on guesswork for knowing what the user actually wants. You can always be sure of it with the help of these key phrases. It is imperative to have a clear knowledge of user intent for facilitating conversions.

Relevancy of Results

High-value results can be rarely achieved by core keyword searches with outrageous search volume and competition even if the quality is excellent and information rich. This is because they are not likely to be perfectly relevant.

In contrast, highly relevant results can be guaranteed by long-tail keywords. This can result in a higher rate of conversion for those who rank high for long-tail searches and less competition.

Thus, with searches increasingly becoming a long-tail question and every search engine company waking up to its advantages, it seems long-tail keywords are all set to make a roaring comeback.

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