What different types of internet searches are there?
Well if you already know about long-tail key words, the formatting of the the above header may look familiar. For those who are new to the concept, let’s start at the ground floor and work our way up. The first thing you’ll want to understand are the different types of search queries and how they relate to your site. Let’s take a look at a quick breakdown.
- Informational searches: These cover the range from broad to specific. Think about informational queries as seeking information. These may be something like, “Cheese factories in Wisconsin.” They aren’t searching for a specific factory but general information on all of one type of something in an area. A more specific search may be, “Correct transmission fluid color?”
- Navigational searches: These are used to find very specific things. They are used to navigate towards known sites like a search specifically for your company name so a user can then navigate to your site. They may know a particular search result yields your site though, and use this instead.
- Transactional searches: These occur when a consumer is looking for a particular products. This may be generalized or specific. “Oil change deals,” “Best price on lawn care,” and other similar searches are usually shorter and direct.
What is a long-tail key word?
Now that you know how people search, let’s look at a long-tail key word. Short-tail terms are very quick and to the point. They are one or two words and leave the decision making up to the search engine. Short-tail terms would include, “Dog Daycare,” “Pizza,” “Nail Salon.” They may also include locations. “Tires Portland,” “Running Trail Vancouver,” “Window Washing Clackamas,” are all examples of this. Long-tail keywords are written to find a very specific thing or answer a specific question. They may even be formulated as full sentences. These searches also mimic human speech much more closely. They will include stop-words that a more generalized search will not.
Examples of long-tail key words include:
- Where can I find the best chocolate ice cream in Seattle?
- How often should I change my windshield wipers?
- Best siding for a Northwest home
- Nearest 24 hour cat clinic
- Home care for a 70’s shag carpet
The Benefits of long-tail key words
The benefits of long-tail key words are plenty. Pages can be made to directly target them, but more often than not they are used internally in content. One of the best ways to use them is in headers and blog posts. By answering the specific needs of a long-tail key word query a website can strengthen their ability to become a resource for those specific customers.
This makes it significantly easier to rank for long-tail key terms. It also doesn’t guarantee, but significantly increases the likelihood, of capturing consumers who are searching for that particular service. These are already integrated into pages in ways you may not even realize. Without specifically performing long-tail key word research, naturally written pages will inevitably contain them. They are often written in the form of a question, followed by the answer.
Identifying long-tail key words
There are multiple ways to accomplish this, and some of them may be easier than you think.
- Google Search – One way is to type a search into Google. We’re all familiar with auto-fill at this point, but it is actually showing you many other common long-tail searches. These can be utilized on-site in order to provide the best page for that specific search. Just make sure they are still directly related to the page material, and do not dilute any short-tail terms that are being pursued.
- Google Analytics – Analytics can show you how people search to get to your specific site pages. This can be used to identify queries you may not have thought of. If one specific search is most often being found thanks to a certain long-tail query there are several options. That page can be made to more directly answer that question, or a new page can be created to help re-direct and capture that query. Depending on how this is pursued it can lead to better conversions or new captures.
- Bing Key Word Tool – Though Bing doesn’t allow for specific location searches it can still be quite useful. It has a paired down format and reduced options. It also doesn’t give number ranges but gives actual concrete search numbers. This doesn’t leave research open to interpretation like Google does. Both analytic tools can be used to identify related terms. Entering your short-term key word can yield related long-term key words. These can then be integrated into the site page.
Long-tail key word integration
There are a few ways to accomplish this during and after page creation. That largely depends on how users are using the page. Research and identification can provide some great starting points. It may also allow you to capture searchers that aren’t being targeted by your competitors. For existing sites blogs are a great way to handle long-tail key words without going back over content. These can also provide strong inner-links to relevant services pages.
Blogs can be used to flash-information weekly, but a more useful format is the long form blog. This allows for the greatest integration of long-tail key words, even over landing and service pages. That’s because a specific topic can be explored in-depth. This will include the most markers for Google search engines trying to identify the best page for a user. Headers may all be made up of long-tail key words. Another benefit to creating long-tail filled long form blogs is that they can function as a database. Populating your website with a growing database of information that answers your users and the areas most prominent questions concerning your industry is a great way to build trust. Even if you’re giving DIY solutions to problems you can solve, remember the power of loyalty and trust. Getting users to stay on and engage with your site lowers your bounce rate and increases its relevance in the eyes of Google search bots. This helps all of your pages rank higher, gets them seen by more eyes, gets more clicks, and raises them further.
Good practices are self fulfilling and lead to to good results. Using every tool in your arsenal is the best way to reach the most customers. Contact your sales representative today and ask them about integrating long-tail key words into your next contract.