There are two different types of keywords: Short Tail and Long Tail keywords. Short Tail keywords can be described as broad keywords and long tail keywords can be described as narrow keywords.
For example Web Design would be considered a short tail (or broad) keyword and Real Estate Web Design would be considered a Long Tail (or narrow) keyword.
Short tail keywords generally target larger groups and less specific search engine searches as opposed to a long tail keyword which is used for targeting a specific or niche market. Short and Long tail keywords can be used in page titles, descriptions and the content of your articles.
The reason you would use long tail keywords more than short tail keywords is that you are more likely to be able to provide the relevant information to what the user is searching for as it is more specific. There is a lot less competition for someone searching for long tail keywords than there is for short tail keywords.
Visitors searching using a long tail phrase know exactly what they want and these are the type of visitors that you want to attract. They are more likely to turn into a lead than someone that is window shopping using very general search terms – or short tail keywords. A good example of this is the difference between someone searching the internet for “Homes For Sale”, which is extremely generalized, and someone searching for “Condos For Sale in Spokane”, which is specific. If you sell condos in Spokane, the second person is much more likely to become a lead when they visit your website.
A good marketing strategy is to have pages that will target bigger subsets of users by using short tail keywords and others that will attract specific users by using long tail keywords. You aren’t limited to one or the other so use both types of keywords.
Short Tail Keyword Examples
- Condo, Condo for Sale, Condos, Condos for Sale
- Income Property, Realtors, Home, Home for Sale, Homes, Homes for Sale
- Investment Property, Broker, Real Estate
- Lake Homes, Townhouses, Lake Property, Foreclosures
Long Tail Keyword Examples
- Washington condo for sale, WA condo for sale
- Spokane Lakefront properties for sale, Spokane Washington Lakefront Real Estate
- Spokane Waterfront Properties, Washington Spokane Homes for sale
- Spokane WA Homes for Sale, Real estate agent in Spokane
- Real Estate agent in Spokane WA
- Retirement homes in the Washington Area
For additional information on using short and long tail keywords to increase your search engine ranking see How to use Keywords to maximize SEO.
For instructions on how to edit a web page see Editing a Web Page.