We are working on search and conversion optimisation for a client (which in plain English means more traffic and more sales) and this has illustrated the importance of long tail keywords.

How do you take advantage of the 'long tail' to get more traffic?

And no, wagging like a dog doesn't come into it.

Most business owners, when thinking about getting more people to visit their site, think about search engine optimisation.

Which leads to keywords - ie what people 'Google' to find their products. Then they'll think about adding these words to their site.

But they will think of the most obvious keywords, such as 'Jewellery' if you are a jewellery shop. Trouble is, so does everyone else in their industry.

If you are in a competitive industry and have limited resource like many NZ small businesses, focusing on the long tail may be more economical in the long run. It means less traffic - but they will be of a higher quality and are more likely to result in an enquiry or a conversion. And the good news is most other website owners won't bother optimising for the long tail.

What are long tail keywords?

Head keywords or short tail keywords are usually the one or two words that are most commonly associated with a product such as 'watches' or 'jewellery' (if you are a jewellery shop).
Long tail keywords are typically 3 - 6 words in length so are really keyword phrases. They are the search phrases that have smaller search volumes i.e. not as many people use them.
They are phrases that are more specific like 'gold and platinum antique ladies watch' or 'green men's polo shirt large'.

People are increasingly using these terms to get more relevant search results - so you want to attract these people to your site.

How to find your long tail

• Use your analytics tools - and look past the top ten search terms to see which terms people are using, and which ones have a higher conversion rate
• Brainstorm with friends, relatives, clients and suppliers
• Email people and ask them what the top ten search phrases are that they use
• Include this question in a customer survey
• Google has a keyword research tool accessible from a Google AdWords account. You find it under the opportunities tab. The tool is listed down the left. If you don't have an AdWords account try the external tool. This tool estimates competition and shows search volume, although not which ones will necessarily work for you
• Wordstream also have a free tool which is simple and effective.
• If your business is location specific, remember that people often put this in the search, eg 'mens gold watches Auckland' or 'polo shirts with logo north shore'.

Optimising for the long tail keywords

To take advantage of your long tail it will come down to content - i.e. you'll need to use the keyword phrases you have identified, in your content.
The more content you have on your site in the form of product overviews, news or a blog, the easier it will be to include them.

To get full advantage, you'll need a seperate page for each phrase.  Because this might be a lot of work you'll need to make it work for you, so include some kind of call to action like a email signup or similar.

Summary

1. Do your research, come up with a basket of keyword phrases
2. Optimise your content for the long tail
3. Test and measure.
4. Rinse. Repeat.