Long Tail Keywords: Learn about  Them

January 2008

Especially when you get started with websites - "long tail keywords" are the keywords that will bring traffic to your website.  
 
"Long tail keywords" are strings of two or three or four words that are often searched.  People don't often search for just "TEFL" for example - but they may well search for "Key West Map" or "Cuban Restaurants Miami Beach" - THAT'S where you can win - and then capture your visitors with your other content.
 
For example: my website - www.PhuketNorth.com website can't compete with the big boys for searches like "Phuket", "Phuket Hotels" or "Phuket Resorts" but it can compete with and win with keywords like "Phuket North" - people who are looking for information or resorts or hotels on the northern part of Phuket.  

You'll find it (today anyway!) #1 on Google for that term.  AND, on page one of Google Finland (.fi) for "currency exchange" - #2 on page one for "Laem Srai" (.co.uk) #1 on Yahoo for "Natai Beach" - page one for "6 star resorts" (Google.co.my), page 1 of Google.com for "Nai Thon Beach" - "undiscovered on phuket" and "Aleenta Resort Phuket" and "phuket weather statistics" all perform well on different search engines for PhuketNorth.com - and the list goes on and on and on.
 
What this means is that you CAN compete if you focus your pages on things that will bring people to your site, be it weather, money exchange, locations - and other kinds of information that the big boys don't pay much attention to (they don't need to!) -  and don't get too focused on only what you are selling.
 
This is why CONTENT is king.  It is what will bring visitors to the little guy's website(s) - and bring them indirectly to what you have to sell.
 
Think and focus on "long tail keywords" as you build your new websites.  It is the way to win in the struggle against your oftentimes very large competitors.