Long-Tail Keywords: How Does It Affect Google Ads
Long-tail keywords are a vital component of any successful Google Ads campaign. These keywords are longer and more specific phrases that target a smaller, more specific audience. Identifying these keywords can be a bit tricky, but with the right approach, you can easily find the ones that will drive the most traffic and conversions to your website.
The first step in identifying long-tail keywords is to brainstorm a list of relevant phrases. This can be done by thinking about the products or services that you offer, as well as the questions that your target audience may be asking. You can also use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner or SEMrush to get a list of potential keywords. These tools will give you an idea of the search volume for each keyword, as well as the competition for that keyword.
What Are Long-Tail Keywords In Google Ads?
Once you have a list of potential long-tail keywords, it’s time to start narrowing it down. The best long-tail keywords are specific, relevant, and have a high search volume. You want to avoid keywords that are too broad or that have too much competition. You should also try to find keywords that are closely related to your products or services.
Another important factor to consider is the intent behind each keyword. Different keywords will have different intent behind them, such as informational intent, navigational intent, and transactional intent. You should focus on keywords that align with your business goal, for example, if you are an eCommerce store looking to drive sales, you should focus on keywords with transactional intent.
Once you have identified a list of long-tail keywords that meet all of these criteria, you can start using them in your Google Ads campaigns. You can create ad groups for each set of keywords, and then use those groups to target specific audiences. By focusing on long-tail keywords, you can increase the chances of your ads being seen by the right people, and increase the chances of them converting into paying customers.
Long-tail keyword examples
“Best organic baby clothes” – Using long-tail keywords like this one allows you to target a specific and niche audience of parents who are looking for organic clothing options for their babies. This is more specific and targeted than a generic keyword like “baby clothes” which would attract a wider range of audience not necessarily looking for organic options.
“Affordable home gym equipment” – This example tries to focus on users that are on a budget and looking for affordable options for setting up a home gym. The generic keyword “gym equipment” would attract a wide range of audiences with different budgets and needs.
“DIY kitchen remodel ideas” – Moving forward to more informational searches. This keyword targets a specific audience of individuals who are looking for ideas and inspiration for DIY kitchen remodeling projects. People searching for these types of long-tail keywords do not want to complete a transaction. The more generic keyword like “kitchen remodel” which would attract a wide range of audiences with different needs and levels of expertise.
“Luxury spa resorts in the Caribbean” – Narrowing your keywords down by location is another great example to target people in specific areas. This is more specific and targeted than a generic keyword like “spa resorts” that will attract users from other locations.
“Vegan gluten-free bakery near me” – Transactional long-tail keywords are keywords that the users enter to purchase a product or service. Including specific requirements in your long-tail keywords allow you to target users that are specifically looking for products with certain attributes. If you used a generic keyword such as “bakery near me” it might have a higher CPC and attract audiences that you do not want to cater to.
As you can see, these long-tail keywords are more specific and targeted than generic keywords, which allows you to reach a more relevant audience that is more likely to convert into paying customers. This can lead to better ROI for your Google Ads campaigns, and decrease your CPC as you are spending your advertising budget on people who are more likely to be interested in your products or services.
How do I identify long-tail keywords?
- Keyword research tools: There are several free and paid keyword research tools available, such as Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Keywords Everywhere, that can help you identify long-tail keywords related to your products or services. These tools allow you to enter a main keyword and generate a list of related keywords with their search volume, CPC and competition levels.
- Competitor analysis: Analyze the keywords that your competitors are using in their Google Ads campaigns and on their website. Tools like SEMrush can help you identify the keywords that your competitors are ranking for, which can give you an idea of what keywords to target in your own campaigns.
- Customer feedback and reviews: Look at customer feedback and reviews to see what phrases and words they are using to describe your products or services. This can give you insight into the language that your target audience is using and can help you identify long-tail keywords that are relevant to them.
- Google Search auto-suggest: Type in the main keyword of your product or service into Google and take a look at the suggestions that come up. Google auto-suggest will give you an idea of the phrases and questions that people are searching for in relation to your main keyword.
- Google Trends: You can use Google Trends to see how a certain keyword or phrase has been performing over time. It will also give you insight into related keywords and phrases that are becoming more popular.
- Use of Latent semantic indexing (LSI) keywords: LSI keywords are related to your primary keyword, but they are not the same as the primary keyword. They are used to let the search engine understand the context of your content.
When identifying long-tail keywords, it is important to consider factors such as search volume, competition, intent, and relevance. Also, you should try to use keywords that are specific to your location and industry if you are targeting local customers or a specific niche.
A guide to long-tail keywords
Identifying these keywords can be a bit tricky, but with the right approach, you can easily find the ones that will drive the most traffic and conversions to your website.
Step 1: Brainstorm a List of Relevant Phrases:
The first step in identifying long-tail keywords is to brainstorm a list of relevant phrases. This can be done by thinking about the products or services that you offer, as well as the questions that your target audience may be asking. You should also think about the specific features or benefits of your products or services that may be appealing to your target audience.
To get a better idea of what your target audience is searching for, you can also use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner or SEMrush. These tools will give you an idea of the search volume for each keyword, as well as the competition for that keyword.
Step 2: Narrow Down Your List
Once you have a list of potential long-tail keywords, it’s time to start narrowing it down. The best long-tail keywords are specific, relevant, and have a high search volume. You want to avoid keywords that are too broad or that have too much competition. You should also try to find keywords that are closely related to your products or services.
Another important factor to consider is the intent behind each keyword. Different keywords will have different intent behind them, such as informational intent, navigational intent, and transactional intent. You should focus on keywords that align with your business goal, for example, if you are a eCommerce store looking to drive sales, you should focus on keywords with transactional intent.
Step 3: Analyze the Search Volume and Competition
It’s important to analyze the search volume and competition of each keyword on your narrowed-down list. To do this, you can use tools like Google’s Keyword Planner or SEMrush. These tools will give you an idea of the search volume for each keyword, as well as the competition for that keyword. You should aim for keywords with a high search volume and low competition.
Step 4: Analyze the Keyword’s Relevance to Your Business
It’s also important to analyze the relevance of each keyword to your business. For example, if you’re a plumbing company, you’ll want to focus on keywords that are directly related to plumbing services, such as “plumbing repairs” or “drain cleaning.” On the other hand, if you’re a clothing store, you’ll want to focus on keywords related to your specific products, such as “men’s dress shirts” or “women’s jeans.”
Step 5: Create Ad Groups
Once you have identified a list of long-tail keywords that meet all of these criteria, you can start using them in your Google Ads campaigns. You can create ad groups for each set of keywords, and then use those groups to target specific audiences. By focusing on long-tail keywords, you can increase the chances of your ads being seen by the right people, and increase the chances of them converting into paying customers.
In summary, identifying long-tail keywords is an essential step in creating a successful Google Ads campaign. By brainstorming a list of relevant phrases, using keyword research tools, narrowing down your list, focusing on intent, analyzing search volume and competition, and creating ad groups, you can find the keywords that will drive the most traffic and conversions to your website. Remember, long-tail keywords are more specific, less competitive, and have higher conversion rates than broad keywords, so it’s worth taking the time to find the right ones for your business.