The most important piece of information for the beginning web builder centers on understanding keyword research. This attribute is what helps drive pre-existing traffic to one’s website, as long as web pages are optimized for sensible keywords that give the best return on investment.

For optimal results, long-tail keywords should be prioritized as they provide the best ROI. For example, a regular (short-tail) keyword might be “dogs.” However, this is likely to have many searches, most of which do not lead to conversions; thus, it is not very useful for a website owner that is looking to sell dog treats. An example of a long-tail keyword is “dog treats for big breeds”, which is likely to entice traffic that is specifically looking to make a purchase.

In sum, then, keyword research should focus on long-tail keywords because the latter have a much higher potential to lead to conversions than the short-tail option. Whether a website owner is using organic SEO to drive traffic to her keywords or paid services, the difference between trying to target long-tail or short-tail (normal) keywords is significant.

Keyword Research – How to Find Keywords

Since keywords are the mechanism by which visitors find a website, tools that help website owners choose the best keywords for their products and services are in high demand. Although some of the tools are paid, there are free methods that work adequately.

1. Use Google Search to Find Long-Tail Keywords
Google is a powerful tool for conducting low cost keyword research. Other than time, it is actually no-cost research – all one has to do is type in the single keyword most relevant to the products and services they offer, and check the “searches related to…” query at the bottom of the search results pages.

This section produces ten long-tail keywords simply by matching the single keyword entered with the most popular combinations entered by other people who searched for similar products and services. It also inspires new combinations based on the given results, and the website owner can incorporate these into blog posts and product pages to help the website rank better in the SERPS (search engine results pages).

2. Google’s Keyword Planner
This is another free, web-based tool that aids keyword research. By entering in a list of keywords to check the global competition, volume and cost per click (CPC), the Keyword Planner will also produce combinations of the words that can be used as long-tail variants on a website. The added benefit here is that the user can see the volume of the additional keywords, and further use them to produce keywords with an even longer tail.

A general rule is that, the longer your keywords, the more targeted they are – as long as the length is effective and reflective of what is actually being typed into the search engines. However, the website owner should keep in mind that the longer the keyword, the fewer the associated searches – which means less traffic. For high-cost products, this can be very lucrative if the webpage is highly targeted, as the rate of conversions goes up for longer tail, relevant words.

3. Keyword Research Forums and Message Boards
Forums and message boards provide a fantastic opportunity to brainstorm new long tail keyword ideas. In many cases, the members of the forum already have these words laid out, and all a website owner has to do is use them on her website to drive targeted traffic to that post.

The key is to focus only on the most popular forums or boards in the same industry as the website content that is being optimized. A simple Google, Yahoo or Bing search will return the top boards. Most people are asking similar questions as appear on the forums, which means that there is an opportunity to establish oneself as an authority on the topic.

A good start is to employ the following search string in Google: “initial keyword” + “forum”. This will list the forums that people frequent by the included keyword, in order of search engine ranking. Peruse all ten of the forums on the first page of Google Search, and write down the long tail keywords that seem relevant – especially those that are included in question form.

Next, write a comprehensive blog post that naturally poses and answers the questions with the long tail keywords that were gathered. There is a very good chance that this is one of the few – if not the only – website that has all the information in one spots, which means there is a very high likelihood that the search engines rank that webpage high up in the SERPS.

Why Long-tail Keyword Research?

With the ever changing rules of Google when it comes to applying keywords in content, long-tail keywords have been given much emphasis by the search engine mogul. The main characteristics of these type of keywords are that they are longer and more specific. Most customers use these long-phrase keywords when they are badly in need of a product or service.

Below are the main gist why Long Tail Google Keyword Research can significantly impact your business.:

• Less competition. On one hand, General short tail keywords have very high search volume, which means there is greater competition when used in one’s business. On the other hand, long tail keywords focuses on the products or services that you offer and targets the specific needs of your customers.
• Higher conversion Rates. Customers who are in the point of purchasing something they badly need at the moment would most likely use long, specific phrases when searching online. As soon as they see you on top of the search engine and your products or services reflect exactly what they are looking for, lead conversion comes right after the search.
• Natural content. Google and other search engines have become smarter when it comes to recognizing content for marketing purposes. Stuffing your website/blog content with keywords will alert Google and this put you in the worst position. But with long tail keywords, words are not repeated over and over again, thereby producing Google-friendly and natural content.
• Cost-effective for PPC. Long tail keywords are less expensive than general, short keywords. In a PPC marketing campaign, long tail keywords direct the right kind of customers to you.
• Connect to your online target audience. Producing quality and organic content will make help you in catching the attention of search engines like Google. Long tail keywords will help you connect with your online audience and will give your customers a clearer view of what you have to offer.

Trust SEO Experts when incorporating Google keyword research in your Internet marketing campaign. Choosing the best SEO company that knows the ins and outs of Google will help you find the right keywords for your business and the right kind of consumers that will improve traffic and increase your conversion.

The Effect of SEO Keyword Research on Conversions

The numbers are in: long tail keywords convert at a much higher clip than short keywords, because the former is more targeted. In fact, long tail is the more common search method for people looking to take an action – which can mean conversion, further investigation, likelihood of signing up for an email list, etc. For business owners that conduct paid ad programs, using long tail saves them loads of cash because a much larger percentage of the incoming traffic they pay for is slated to make a purchase.
To recap, then, use several methods to first conduct the necessary keyword research – forums, Google Search suggestions, online keyword location tools – and then write a blog post that answers a need, using the details of this research. For more advanced keyword research methods that are guaranteed to produce exceptional results, contact the experts at Authority Solutions™ at your earliest convenience.

Other Keyword Research Resources:

• Here is a blog post about the Benefits of keyword research for a website.
• More information on How to Locate Long Tail Keywords.