In this blog post find out how long tail keywords can help SEO for non profits.
What are long tail
keywords?
Long tail keywords are used in online
search engine queries to narrow down the customers search. They are typically 3
words or more which search for more specific content. They are longer than
traditional ‘head words’ which are usually 1 or 2 words long. Head words are
more common and are searched more repeatedly.
For example if you wanted to find out
about a good place to eat in Hanoi searching “restaurants Hanoi” (head words)
would produce thousands of results, some of them not even relevant. If you
searched “best restaurants in Hanoi old quarter” (long tail keywords) the
results would be fewer and be more specific to the searchers needs.
Source: Google Images
Why are long tail
keywords important for websites and online campaigns?
Long tail keywords produce fewer
results and therefore have less search volume than head words. This means that
they do not have as many other websites to compete with and they narrow the options
to choose from, making your website more prominent. The long tail keywords are
so specific that they draw more quality traffic to your website; they will
attract people who want your information and who are more likely to spend more
time looking at your site.
Long tail keywords are also becoming
increasingly important for websites and online campaigns as our language online
shifts to a more personal approach. With programs such as Siri for Apple and
Ask Google the way people are searching is different. Both of these programs
invite the searcher to ask them a full question rather than just type one or
two words.
For example when searching on Google on
a smart phone it says “Tell Google what to do”. Increasingly, searchers are
starting to ask search engines questions like “What is the weather like in
Hanoi today?” rather than “weather Hanoi”. This shift to more conversational
online language is an advantage to long tail keywords as searchers are
beginning to look for more detail.
Where can we use them
effectively?
Identify long tail keywords on your
site subject area and integrate these phrases into your website copy. Choose
the long tail keywords carefully as they will already be words that have less
people searching them; make it easy for people to find the key words on your
site. When people search these specific terms your website will rank highly. Integrate
keywords into your website plan making subpage content about the specific
content that people are searching for.
Which free tools are
available to implement SEO for non profits (search engine optimization) and long tail keyword research?
There are many free tools that can help
you implement long tail keyword research. Here are a few that we suggest:
A very simple way
to get long tail keywords is to start searching a term related to your subject
on Google itself. Google will then start suggesting search terms, as it does
for real time searchers. These suggestions are valuable as they will give you
an indication of what Google users are already searching for in relation to
your subject.
Source: Google
Ubersuggest gives
you thousands of long tail keywords from what real users have been searching on
the internet. It is easy and free of charge to use.
Keyword Planner
from Google is another free service to help you research and identify the best
long tail keywords for your website. It can show you how many times a certain
phrase that you are looking to implement has been searched each month so that
you can decide whether it is worth including it.
How to use long tail key
words in online projects for development work?
Using long tail key words are very valuable in helping
online projects for development work as they are an easy and free way to raise
and increase awareness for the development work undertaken by NGO’s who need
low cost marketing alternatives. Implementing long tail key words on your
online platforms can increase your digital presence and promote development
work to a wider audience and help those who are already researching development
work.
Use keywords in your campaign that people have already searched
for to improve efficiency of communication in development works. PR works have a
lot of money to spend on digital communications to sell a product; NGO’s have a
limited budget and are trying to share information and spread a message. People
want organizations that reflect their views and values so it is important for you
to talk to your supporters with honesty and integrity; using the words that they
would use.
