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The search is always on for good search engine positioning and more traffic to our websites.

These have become increasingly more difficult to achieve because of the very high cost of running and maintaining PPC campaigns, and because of the increasing competition for keywords.

However, there is one technique that has been underutilized but can help in getting more targeted traffic to your website.

It's important to provide a better position in the SERPS, and also reduce the cost per click charges incurred in PPC marketing.

This technique is achieved through long tail keyword research.

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<h3>Facts on Long Tail Keyword Research</h3>
Long-tail keywords defined – Simply put these are the exact same keywords and phrases that a surfer on the Internet might key into the search engines when looking for something very specific. An example is the phrase “left handed golf clubs for women”. This is referred to as a long tail keyword since it is very specific search phrase.

However, the phrase “golf clubs”, is not. What this means for a webmaster, is that such detailed and specific keywords will provide the most relevant results in the search engines so he should bear that in mind when selecting his own keywords to optimize on his site.

<em>Benefit of Long-Tail Keywords</em> - The use of these detailed and specific keywords will result in the user finding the precise information they seek, and as a result, they are referred to as targeted visitors when they arrive at a site that has been optimized for that keyword phrase.

Also, because there is less competition for such keywords (as compared to shorter keywords) the PPC costs will also be lower, and the position in the search engines for the phrase will be higher.

<em>Manual Research Methods</em> – An easy way to research the right long-tail keywords to use, would be to look at those being used by your competitors who are ranked higher in the search results.

Also you can put yourself in the position of the user, and think of a meaningful way to precisely query what you are looking for in the search engines.

<em>Free Software</em> – Using software, fee and paid, to flush out long-tail keywords will help take the drudgery out of the process. Both the free Google Webmaster Tools and Google Analytics will show you the precise searchers used to find your site, and these tools will let you know your position in the search engine results that the searcher was presented with when he keyed that precise phrase.

These analytics tools are a great boost to the webmaster attempting to refine his keywords and to optimize his website when using SEO and creating his long-tail keyword lists.

<em>Paid Software</em> – Paid software can be used to suggest where you can make improvements to your long-tail keywords chosen. Searchers may find your site using precise terms that you may not have included in your keywords, and the software will create a list of such words for you to benefit from and to incorporate in your listings.

<em>Using Long-Tail Keywords</em> – having decided on a number of long-tail keywords to use on your site, you will next position them in specific locations on your site for best effect. Where ever they are placed, they must be used naturally in the text and must not look as though you are writing for the search engines.

They must be included in the webpage titles, in the Meta keywords, also in the Meta descriptions and sparingly throughout the webpages themselves. They should also be included in the H1, H2 and H3 header tags of your content.
Successful long tail keyword research will become second nature after spending time on the process and going through a trial and error period. However, the technique will ensure that targeted traffic will be driven to your website, and it is the approach you should be using to keep one step ahead of your competition.
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<h3>The 5 Top Reasons for Using Long Tail Keywords for Marketing and SEO</h3>
First, you must know that using long tail keywords is very important to your success online if you are an affiliate or internet marketer.

You also need to understand what these keywords truly represent.

Basically any keyword phrase that has more than 2 words in it and is highly targeted is considered a long tail keyword phrase.

These are the types of phrases that consumers search with when they are ready to make a purchase.

They have already done the majority of their research and they know exactly what they are after.

You really just need a little shove in the right direction, and by using long tail keywords you can be the one to give them that push. The folks at ITX Design can definitely help you get where you need to be.

<img class="alignright size-full wp-image-4893" alt="longtail keyword percent" src="https://itxdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/kw-longtail-percent.gif" width="600" height="383" style="border:0;padding:0" /><em>1. They are highly targeted</em>

If you were to enter into the weight loss industry with a website that promotes all types of products for weight loss, then you are going to have a ton of competition to deal with. This means that you have to have a way to get traffic to your website and gain search engine ranking without having to spend as much as a large corporation would.

The weight loss niche is highly competitive, but there are still many that cash in on it regularly. They are the ones that are using long tail keywords and not trying to compete with the larger sites and corporations that are ranked for the keywords "weight loss", "fat loss", and "lose weight".

<em>2. They convert much better</em>

When you are using long tail keywords you will see that your conversion percentage is much better than using a general keyword. Sticking with the weight loss niche example, think about the different type of traffic you would get if you targeted a long tail phrase like "Lose 10 Pounds Before Wedding" compared to "lose Weight for Wedding".

The longer keyword phrase is going to have less competition, be easier to rank for, and the traffic you get will be much more targeted. This means that you will see more conversions and you will need less traffic to make the same amount of sales as if you targeted the other keyword phrase.

<em>3. You can include product names</em>

If someone is searching for a specific product name they are typically doing so for two reasons; one, they need information because they already own it, two, they know they want to buy it and are about ready to do so. This gives you the opportunity to give them that last little push and get them to purchase from you.

<em>4. Require less SEO for ranking higher</em>

You will also find that when you are using long tail keywords you will need less search engine optimization in order to get your site, article, or blog post ranked on Google and other top search engines. This goes back to the competition and when there is less of it there are also many sites in the top of the rankings that have less SEO on the site and off the site.

<em>5. Less backlinking will be required</em>

You will have less backlinking to do as well when you are using long tail keywords because your competition most likely does not even know they are ranked for that keyword phrase. Typically it will only take a handful of backlinks to rank high if you have decent on site SEO.
<h3>Cashing in By Using Long Tail Keywords for Marketing</h3>
The bottom line when it comes to using long tail keywords is that you will have less work that you will have to do for each post, webpage, or article that you are trying to get ranked.

The best part is that if you use both a blog or website and articles you can take up more than one of the top spots on top search engines.

Imagine if you were listed in the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth positions on Google for one of your long tail keyword phrases.

Do you think you could get a ton of traffic?

This is exactly what can happen when you are using long tail keywords for both your website or blog and article submissions.