It is obvious when discussing SEO how important it is to have a company rank at the top of Google’s first page of search results. Page 1 ranking on Google is said to have an average click-through of 36.4%, while page two rankings receive only a click-through of 1.5%. If you’re a small- or medium-sized company in a world dominated by giants like Walmart, Target, and Amazon, it may seem impossible to grab even a tiny piece of the pie.
It is difficult to distinguish your small business from the crowd of large companies that are clamoring for first place in search engine results. This task becomes even more difficult in overcrowded online markets. Phone accessories and home décor are two examples of markets that have a lot of online competition. You’ve probably already come up with a few (in addition to the companies mentioned above). In these situations, your USP is more important, especially if you do not have the brand recognition of the giants.
Just because you are competing with Amazon does not mean that your business is over. If you ask me, “Do I have a chance to compete with big brands online?” I will answer, “Yes, but …” Now, I understand that we all dislike those, but listen up because the “but’ matters. With a solid SEO strategy and some patience, it is possible to succeed in crowded markets. We will discuss the SEO aspects below, but I must first emphasize the importance of this last piece of advice. It will take time to compete with the biggest companies in the world (and two months is not enough). SEO is not a quick fix. There are no instant gratifications. It’s a long-term game.
It takes at least six months to see meaningful and real results from a strategic SEO plan. If you follow my advice and create a plan for the long term, you will succeed. Our SEO strategy was followed by a client who sells cell phone accessories. Within six months, they were ranking with Amazon and BestBuy on the first page for their target keywords. They were also able to rank on the first page.
Many elements make up a successful SEO strategy. But today, I will focus on long tail keywords, why they are important, and how you can use them to benefit your business. Many posts on the internet explain what a long-tail keyword is. A quick search of Google will reveal that there are many. Instead, we will show you how a good strategy and long-tail keywords can help your business compete and improve its bottom line.
What is a long tail keyword HTML0?
As their name suggests, long tail keywords are longer and more specific keyword phrases. Customers are more likely to use them when they are about to purchase an item or service. This is a way to refine or clarify what you’re looking for by separating it from a broad category. It is the difference between typing “Air Jordans” and “Black and white Air Jordan Retro 1s”. Compare the results for each. Searching “Air Jordans,” with so many options and retailers selling them, will give you hundreds of thousands of results.
Due to the sheer number of competitors, it is unlikely that a shoe company will ever be able to reach the top of a search engine for “Air Jordans.” If you are able to specialize and distinguish yourself within your market, then keywords like the latter can help you locate customers who are looking for specific products. You can filter out people who don’t want what you have to offer by narrowing your target audience using exact keywords. You will naturally attract less traffic if you use a long-tail key phrase than you would if you used a generic keyword, but that traffic will be much more valuable and likely to convert. It is a good reason to target the more specific, longer keywords that have lower search volumes. Brands should and can use this to their advantage.
How long tail keywords impact your bottom line
Long-tail keywords account for more than two-thirds of Google’s search traffic. Many brands ignore this despite this. Why? They have a strong brand, huge marketing budgets, and a customer base that is interested in what they sell. To compete with the other big brands, they know that they must focus on these top keywords.
Long tail keywords must align, and I repeat, must, with your USP. They must, in other words, be aligned with what separates you and your competitors. When we worked with a cell phone accessory company, the USP of their business was variety and discount. We tailored long-tail keywords to reflect their identity, which was low prices and an abundance of options. They were able, as a result, to attract new customers looking for these options. The marketplace has changed, and more brands are now competing. Our strategy adapted to this.
Long tail keywords can help you find hyper-targeted clients who are very specific about what they want. This means that your business will face less competition. There is less competition, even though there are fewer searches. The low search volume is one of the biggest mistakes that I see brands making time and time again. They don’t pursue this hyper-relevant keyword because they are not as popular.
Think about this: Would you rather 1,000 potential customers who will not click on your search results but are still interested and engaged visit your site or 100 customers who may be qualified and relevant but are unlikely to buy your product/service if they did? Some may say that you can retarget these customers, but is that cost-effective?