How To Attract Search Engine Traffic By Targeting Long-Tail Keywords
There are many traffic generation methods you can use to drive targeted traffic.
But for now, I want to show you how to attract FREE targeted traffic from search engines using search engine optimization (SEO) techniques to target long-tail keywords.
What is a long-tail keyword?
A long-tail keyword refers to a niche keyword that is targeted and specific.
The term ‘long tail’ was coined by Chris Anderson, Editor of Wired Magazine, when he released his ground-breaking book, The Long Tail.
Here’s my personal definition of ‘long-tail’ keyword:
 A long-tail keyword is a micro-niche comprising low-volume keywords (three or more words in length) AND low-volume competition  |
“A long-tail keyword is a micro-niche comprising low-volume keywords (three or more words in length) AND low-volume competition.”
Take for example the popular niche “web hosting”.
Most marketers target this niche by focusing their SEO efforts on the key phrase “web hosting”.
And they usually achieve zero results.
Why?
Simply because almost EVERY other marketer is ALSO targeting the same key phrase!
Here’s a look at the search volume for “web hosting” (see diagram below) I extracted using the Free Wordtracker Online Tool.
Notice the term “web hosting” attracts 5400 searches each day.
A huge market for sure, but is it also a competitive market?
Let’s find out…
When assessing competition, I like to use the Google allintitle: operator – because it tells me how many web pages are competing for a top ranking for the keyword.
What is AlIInTitle:?
Allintitle: is a Google operator that indicates the number of web pages in Google’s index that have the targeted keyword phrase between the <title> </title> tags of their web pages.
This is useful information because when performing basic on-page SEO, we always place our targeted keyword phrase in the title tag of our web page. Hence, the presence of a keyword phrase in the title tag suggests a web page is also competing for a top ranking.
To determine the allintitle: competition, all you need to do is type ‘allintitle: your keyword’ in the Google search box (see diagram below):
What does the above snapshot tell me?
It tells me there are over 9 million web pages competing for a top 10 ranking in Google for the keyword “web hosting”.
That’s a heck a lot of competitors if you asked me!
No wonder you’ll get nowhere if you target “web hosting” and hope to get free traffic from the search engines!
So rather than target “web hosting”, focus instead on numerous long-tail keywords related to “web hosting”.
How To Locate Long-Tail Keywords?
A great technique is to start at the bottom of the Free Wordtracker Tool results (see diagram below)
Consider the long-tail keyword “low cost web hosting services” with 58 searches a day (not bad a search volume for a long-tail keyword!)
Let’s take a look at the allintitle: competition for “low cost web hosting services” (see diagram below)
This long-tail keyword has over 4,000 competing allintitle: web pages. Based on my SEO experience, any intermediate SEO-trained marketer would be able to achieve a top 10 ranking for this keyword phrase, because he/she only needs to compete with 4,000 other webmasters.
Would you rather face 4,000 or 9 million competitors? Go figure!
I did say you’ll probably require intermediate SEO knowledge to gain a Top 10 ranking for a keyword with an allintitle: of 4,000.
So, are beginner internet marketers doomed?
Certainly not!
If you are an internet marketing newbie, I strongly suggest you target ultra-low allintitle: keywords.
To locate ultra-low allintitle: competing keywords, you may need to ‘dig deeper’ by drilling down on a keyword using Free Wordtracker Tool.
I’ve drilled-down on the keyword “low cost web hosting services” (see diagram below).
Ok, so the search volume for “california low cost web hosting services” is not great at all, with just 3 searches a day.
But then again, a top ranked web page for this search term can drive 3 x 30 = 90 visitors to your website in one month, or 1095 vistors a year!
Not bad, considering you didn’t spend a penny for these visitors!
What about the competition?
There are literally no web pages in Google competing for a Top 10 ranking for the keyword “california low cost web hosting services”!
Woohoo!
Great news, because this means almost anyone with basic SEO knowledge should be able to achieve a Top 10 ranking for the key phrase “california low cost web hosting services”.
So if you want to attract targeted traffic to your website but are new to the SEO game, start by targeting free traffic to your website using ultra-low volume long-tail keywords – and I guarantee you’ll be making money online in no time!
The Bottom Line: Where You Lack in Knowledge and Experience You Make Up by Sheer Numbers!
Fabian Lim
Popularity: 69% [?]
Hi Fabian,
So if I target long tail keyword, I should put it in the tittle only? Is there anywhere else I can insert the long tail keyword? Please englighten me. Thanks!
Thanks for the tip.
Hi Fabian,
I guess this is my first time to give comment on your blog
I also one of your student in Indonesia’s IMB 4
Now, I have ranked my website for keyword “World Internet Academy”
as in number one right now for Google.co.id (Google Indonesia)
I learn a lot from this long tail keywords, and it helps me from being in a high rank in Google Search. Thank you Fabian.
PS. I am looking forward for your WIA …
Hi Fabian
Thanks for your tips on making use of Amazon Store and how to attract Search Engine Traffic by targeting long tailed keywords. They are certainly very useful.
With regard to your example above, if we were to target “california low cost web hosting services”, so we must have this term “california low cost web hosting services” as the title of our website as well as in the body of the web page (to reach a certain keyword density level)?
However, for the keyword “california low cost web hosting services”, the estimated number of searches is about 3. So in order to get more traffic, we will have to find more keywords revolving around the keyword “california low cost web hosting services” that have equally low competition, and after we sourced out these keywords, we write our articles around these keywords to optimize our site with the keywords – am I right in principle? Correct me if I’m wrong on this.
Also, regarding Amazon Store, you mentioned that there’s not much room we can make changes to so-called “Search Engine Optimize” our Amazon-store. May I know what about using Associate-O-Matic? I read that using this tool, we can also build our own Niche store. What are your thought on software?
Cheers!
Jun Yuan
Hi Fabian,
How are you doing… nice to see you update great content here.. I was looking through your Adwords Empire product.. nice videos…
I got some questions like to ask you about Wordtracker, no.1 is how dependable is Wordtracker really is? Should I get my demand data from Google Adwords or from Wordtracker instead? Also what is the recommend number of demand per month and competition which you say is a good keyword to target online?
Also some tip to make your blog more response.. you may want to install the Subscribe to Comment plugin at http://txfx.net/code/wordpress/subscribe-to-comments/ =)
Hi Benny,
When performing “on-page” search engine optimization, you should place your target keyword in the following places on your webpage:
1) Page Name (File Name e.g. domain.com/keyword.html or Directory Name e.g. domain.com/keyword/
2) Title Tag
3) Meta Keyword and Description Tag
4) H1 Tag
5) Body Content
When creating content for your website, write naturally to engage your reader with good and solid content.
Don’t focus on keyword density!
Hope this helps.
Fabian
Hi Jun Yuan,
Please refer to my above post with regards to whether to place your target keyword on your webpage.
And no, don’t focus on a particular keyword density!
In fact, over-using the keyword in your content may result in your webpage receiving the Over Optimization Penalty (OOP) – and being penalized by the search engines!
You have been warned.
You said, “However, for the keyword “california low cost web hosting servicesâ€, the estimated number of searches is about 3. So in order to get more traffic, we will have to find more keywords revolving around the keyword “california low cost web hosting services†that have equally low competition, and after we sourced out these keywords, we write our articles around these keywords to optimize our site with the keywords – am I right in principle?”
The beauty of long-tail keywords is the fact that such search terms have very little to zero competition. So you won’t need to put much effort to acheive a top 10 ranking for a long-tail keyword.
So rather than putting all your efforts on just 1 long-tail keyword, you should target as many long-tail keywords as possible and create relevant content for each keyword.
Be sure to create and optimize one long-tail keyword PER webpage. So if you are targeting 10 long-tail keywords, you should have at least 10 webpages on your website.
With regards to Associate-O-Matic, I have no experience with it, but it looks like a pretty useful script.
Hope this helps.
Fabian
Hi Alvin,
Thanks for your tip on the subsribe-to-comments plug-in!
I’ve just installed it on this blog :p
And thank you for the great questions!
With regards to Wordtracker, the first thing you need to know is the source of Wordtracker data, which is DogPile and MetaCrawler.
As such, we do not expect Wordtracker to provide us with accurate demand data, since most of us target Google for traffic.
What I use Wordtracker for is as follows:
1) Quick keyword research – I type in a keyword in FreeWordtrackerTool.com and am able to instantly discover 99 more specific keywords and their estimated daily search volume (this is a calculated number, btw)
2) Lateral keyword research (i.e. to find synonyms for a keyword) – Type in ‘real estate’ in Wordtracker (paid version only) and Wordtracker returns you lateral terms like condominum, property etc.
3) Long-tail keyword research – Wordtracker (paid version only) is EXCELLENT in identifying long-tail keywords to target
If you want to know actual demand data for search terms in Google, you can try the Google Traffic Estimator, although, in my opinion, it doesn’t return very accurate results.
As far as I’m aware, the only way to determine ACTUAL demand data for keywords in Google is to use Google AdWords.
Lastly, with regards to your question on a ‘good’ keyword to target, my answer is as follows: “Any keyword is a good keyword to target as long as it has the potential to drive visitors to your webpage AND you have the skills to obtain a top 10 ranking for that keyword”.
An absolute beginner in SEO who wants to rank well in the top 10 results in Google should target long-tail keywords with an allintitle: competition of 10 or less.
An intermediate SEO marketer should have no problems acheiving a top 10 result in Google for a keyword with an allintitle: competition of 25,000 to 50,000
An expert SEO marketer should be able, over time, to achieve a top 10 result in Google for a keyword with an allintitle: competition of 100,000 or more.
Anyone interested in taking your SEO skill & knowledge to the next level should consider joining my upcoming 5-day Advanced SEO training in Singapore from 25-29 April 2008.
More details here: http://www.AsiaSearchEngineAcademy.com
Fabian
Hey Fabian,
Thanks for the detailed answers and tip on the Google Estimator… I think I also agree with you it’s not that accurate because that is design to make you bid more for keywords online..
About your long tail.. I thought you may want to check out http://www.hittail.com/ it’s a free tool to get long tail keywords..
And i found this free keyword tool at http://www.123promotion.co.uk/ppc/index.php which show Wordtracker and Overture result pretty useful =)
About Ranking… I am still figuring out why I cannot get ranked no.1 for the keyword “make money online” , but my blog still appear no.1 only in Singapore search not USA search results so far.. any tips to improve the rankings? The thing I know to improve ranking is keep getting site related to making money to link back to me to improve ranking is that the way? =P
Thanks again Fabian.. and Happy New Year to EVERYONE here! =)
Hi Fabian
Thanks for the really detailed insights on how to optimize with long tail keywords – now I get the complete picture.
I’ll like to take this opportunity to wish you and your family a very happy and prosperous Lunar New Year. Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Cheers!
Jun Yuan
Hi Alvin,
You asked, “I am still figuring out why I cannot get ranked no.1 for the keyword “make money online†, but my blog still appear no.1 only in Singapore search not USA search results so far.. any tips to improve the rankings? The thing I know to improve ranking is keep getting site related to making money to link back to me to improve ranking is that the way?”
Well, I do have tons of tips to share with you and my subscribers with regards to SEO.
But let me just say that the search engines (especially Google) are getting more and more sophisticated over time.
So a simple “link back” from many sites may not be sufficient to obtain a top ranking in Google.
What we all need to be reminded is a top ranking in Google can be worth literally tens of thousands of dollars – and Google wants to be sure the sites that are top ranked especially for competitive terms like “make money online” or “credit card” etc. earned the right to their top rankings, and did not manipulative their way to get up there.
I’ll share more about SEO in subsequent posts, and one of my goals is to dispel the many SEO myths that many self-proclaimed SEO-gurus have been spreading.
Till next time!
Fabian
Hi Fabian
With regard to long-tailed keywords, I noticed that my very first website: http://www.remote-control-hobby.com has about 133 long tailed keywords indexed. Google Analytics showed 98% is thru SEO! SURPRISE! as this site was a trial and error first site.
I didn’t intentionally placed them in specific places like articles. When I selectively (copy and pasted these keywords) into google search, i can see my website appear either on page 1 or 2 amount millions. Everyday, there were on avg 5 visitors
I didnt check if there are sales so far! FORGOT PASSWORDS!
I want to know how can I improve on this site as i believe there is no sales yet (didnt recd cheques), although the average time on site is about 3 mins.
Cynthia
this a really cool affordable tips I can get so far, not to mention that I found it accidentaly. Thanks Fabian…
The best method is always overlooked, just like Google has a great feature but I never notice for a very effective keyword and SEO. Thanks for sharing.
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