The internet is a vast place. With so many websites out there, it can be hard to stand out from the crowd. And if your website isn’t getting traffic, then you might as well not exist.
But all hope is not lost! There are some very easy ways to get more people to visit your site. One of my favorite methods for boosting readership is through long-tail keyword optimization on SEO copywriting—a topic I’ve had the pleasure of researching extensively in recent months while working at a major tech company’s marketing department.
In this article, I want to share with you some tips and tricks that have helped me immensely in my work over the years—tips that have been proven time and time again to boost traffic, improve readership and, in the end, increase revenue.
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The first step is to avoid writing “stealth” articles that nobody can find in a search engine. Yup, the title gives away what this article is going to be about! Sort of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?
Instead, you want to write a catchy title that will make it stand out in Google search results. Yes, I know what you’re going to say: “But the SEO copywriting article is about long-tail keywords! How does this tip relate?” Well, here’s how: A strategic headline that’s packed with keywords is more likely to get clicked on than an article that doesn’t mention the terms you want people to search for.
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As I said, long-tail keywords are very specific and targeted phrases—they will bring up fewer results than broad or general keywords. So what you need to do is create a title that contains keywords that are likely to be typed in by people searching for this type of article. Here’s an example:
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See how the title mentions both “long tail keywords” and “SEO copy?” This means that it’s more likely to appear at the top of Google search results—so long as the tips inside are also useful and appealing to people looking for this sort of information.
Now, onto writing kick-butt SEO copywriting…
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Writing SEO copy for your visitors is a lot different than writing it for search engine bots. If you want to get more readers and improve your site’s rankings on Google, you must learn how to write your articles using keywords that people use when they conduct searches online.
The first step is coming up with long-tail keywords that you want to target. Let’s say your website is about web design, and one of the main topics you cover is HTML5. A search for “HTML5 tutorial” would automatically bring up a list of articles such as:
What Is HTML5?
What Is The History Behind HTML5?
How To Build A Website With HTML5
Style Tags In HTML5
Useful Tools For HTML5 Development
…and so on. Now, you wouldn’t want to write a post about every one of those topics. That would be silly! Instead, I’d recommend using long-tail keywords to target a particular topic—for example, “HTML5 video tutorial” or even something really specific like “how to center HTML5 video in Google Chrome.”
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Why are long-tail keywords so important?
Well, it all comes down to SEO copywriting. As you probably already know, the higher your website ranks on Google and the various other search engines, the more people will visit your site—and ultimately boost sales.
The problem with using broad or general keywords is that they tend to bring up many results quickly. Instead of writing an article about every topic under the sun, targeting smaller, more specific keywords is better. That way, you’ll have a higher chance of ranking for certain phrases—meaning your customers will be more likely to find your site quickly.
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If this is still confusing, think about search engine optimization copywriting like fishing…but not for the fish. Instead, you’re trying to catch “keywords.” You can either use incredibly large fishing nets or cast smaller lines with custom lures meant to catch specific types of fish. Either way, you’re going to catch more fish when you narrow your focus.
Why should I use long-tail keywords in my titles?
Writing a keyword-packed headline is one of the most important parts of SEO copywriting and search engine optimization. After all, it’s usually what convinces people to click on your content in the first place.
The problem with using general keywords is that there are likely hundreds or even thousands of articles online about the same topics. So instead of spending hours writing a post about HTML5, it’d be smarter to look for specific phrases like “HTML5 video tutorial” and focus on creating a much more in-depth and useful post.
In other words, use long-tail keywords in your titles to give your posts a better chance of standing out from the competition.
How do I find long-tail keyword phrases?
Many tools can help you find new keyword ideas, but some of the best ones are those created by SEO copywriting experts. They know which long-tail keywords bring up a lot of traffic and make it easy to find them—saving hours of work in the process.
A great place to start is with this free keyword research tool from Wordtracker. Then, once you have a list of keywords you want to target, copy and paste them into Google and see which of your competitors is ranking for the same term.
After that, it’s just a matter of adding more long-tail keywords to your content and improving on what others have done before you!
What are some other benefits of using long-tail keywords?
There are dozens of benefits to using long-tail keywords, but here are just a few of the most important ones:
It’s less competitive than broad or general keyword phrases, which means it takes less time and effort to rank for them on search engines like Google.
They help you rank higher for multiple phrases—so you’re not just targeting one term. Plus, it makes your site look more credible since you write about various topics instead of focusing on only that specific keyword.
It shows people that you know what you’re talking about because the phrase is so targeted. It also gets them thinking about your business more positively.
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It’s easier to target your audience because you can write specifically for that phrase—instead of including lots of different terms to get more traffic. It increases the chances of people reading your content by providing more information on their needs and desires.
How do I use long-tail keywords in SEO copywriting?
There are many ways to use long-tail keywords, but it’s always best to think about them when writing your titles, descriptions, and headlines.
The title is where most people notice the keywords you are targeting, so take some time to come up with something creative and includes the most important phrases.
After that, spend some time on your meta descriptions—especially if you are using WordPress. This is what people will see in search engines before they click on your title, so make sure it includes some long-tail keywords too.
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You can use the same keywords in your headline, but the most important place to mention them is the URL. This is another thing people will see, so make sure yours includes relevant words to what your post is all about.
After you’ve done all of that, look at your content and see if there are any spots where you can add in a few more long-tail keywords. These don’t have to be obvious, so sprinkle them throughout wherever it makes sense.
In conclusion:
Now you know how to create amazing SEO copy that gets results! Use these tips in your content to help boost your rankings and drive more targeted traffic to your website.