Long-Tail Keywords: Finding the Keywords that Deliver ROI

Long tail keywords are the longer, more specific keywords that are less common, individually, but add up to account for the majority of search-driven traffic.

Long tail keywords are the opposite of "head" terms, which are more popular or more frequently searched on. For example, "fish tanks" is a head term, but "compare prices whisper aquarium filters" is a long-tail keyword.

Beginner search marketers often focus on head terms when optimizing their sites for organic search or creating pay-per-click campaigns. This is a mistake—long-tail keywords can offer incredible ROI because they're less competitive to rank for organically and less expensive to bid on for PPC. In addition, people using long-tail search queries are often highly qualified and more likely to convert.

The trick is to find a reliable, renewable source of long tail keywords that are relevant to your site and your business niche. Unfortunately, typical keyword suggestion tools don't deliver much in the way of long tail terms. They tend to return limited lists of very popular keywords, leaving you in the dark as to the long tail of search.

So what are your options?

Using the Free Keyword Tool as a Long Tail Keyword Generator

WordStream's Free Keyword Tool, unlike other keyword suggestion tools, returns a virtually unlimited number of keywords, including multi-word long tail keywords, for use in your organic and paid search campaigns. It's easy to find long tail keyword terms with this free keyword research tool. Just enter the word you want to research:

The tool returns the top 100 most popular keywords. Just enter your email to receive the full list of long tail keyword phrases as a zipped file, completely free.

This is a vast improvement over other third-party keyword tools, but the truth is, there's an even better source of long tail keywords: your own web analytics and log files.

Mining Your Private Data for Long Tail Keyword Research and Discovery

Your own website data, believe it or not, is your best source of long tail keywords, offering several advantages over public data sources:

• It's personalized and proprietary
• It's a competitive asset
• It's highly relevant to your business
• It's accurate
• It's up-to-date and self-renewing

If you're not tapping into this data, you're squandering a valuable keyword source.

WordStream's keyword management solution is designed to help you mine your log files and analytics for your best keyword opportunities. WordStream software connects with your site to monitor incoming traffic from search engines and capture the real keywords that actual visitors use to find you. The result? An ever-growing long tail keyword list that is personalized and dynamic, ready to be leveraged for high-performance search marketing campaigns.

The beauty of WordStream's solution is that even as your keyword database grows toward the millions, it's stays manageable and organized. How?

WordStream for Grouping Long Tail Keywords

WordStream isn't just a long tail keyword research tool; it's also a sophisticated keyword grouping tool. Proper segmentation and organization are particularly important for large-scale campaigns that include plenty of long-tail keywords.

Forming keyword groups with WordStream software is simple and efficient. You can search your database for like keywords or use smart tools to get suggestions for semantically related terms. Then just click a button to create each group.

As new long tail keywords are added to your database daily, they'll automatically be sorted into your existing taxonomy.

Small, tightly related keyword groups are beneficial for both SEO and PPC. And in WordStream, your keyword groups are actionable, so your keyword dashboard is also a workbench for creating full-scale PPC campaigns, writing ad text and more.

WordStream is an end-to-end long tail keyword management solution that takes you from initial keyword discovery through to creating targeted, relevant web content optimized for your strongest long-tail terms.

Learn More about Grouping Long Tail Keywords with WordStream

Read our free white paper: Four Steps to Better Keyword Grouping.