Are you optimizing your WooCommerce products but find that you are not getting any traction? It could be because you are optimizing for the wrong keywords. Many e-commerce businesses find more success with long-tail keywords. But what are long tail keywords and why use long-tail keywords for your WooCommerce SEO?
What are Long-Tail Keywords?
Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific keywords; much like a keyphrase. For example, if you are running an e-commerce store that sells frying pans, you could be tempted to optimize for keywords such as “frying pans”. However, ranking for “frying pans” would be very difficult. Do you expect to beat Wikipedia or Amazon who holds the top two spots in Google’s search results page? Even if you hire the most expensive SEO agency, that’s going to be hard to topple.
Let’s try to improve the keyword “frying-pan”. “Non-stick frying pan” is an improvement. It is more specific compared to just “frying pan” but this can still be made more targeted. “Non-stick stainless-steel frying pan” or “non-stick stainless-steel frying pan for induction stove” is taking it a step further.
Benefits of Using Long-Tail Keywords
Long-Tail Keywords Produce Targeted Traffic that Converts Better
Long-tail keywords may or may not result in less traffic. The traffic that you do get will be more targeted and that means better conversion. Don’t stress yourself too much about losing traffic because traffic is a useless statistic. The important statistic to watch out for is your conversion rate because this is the moneymaker. Optimize your e-commerce store for increased conversion; not for increased traffic.
Long-Tail Keywords are Easier to Rank for
Because there is less competition for long-tail keywords, it is easier to rank for them. With a properly optimized page, you can land a top spot in the search results page. As long as you follow other known SEO best practices, this is achievable.
But They Have Low Search Volume?
You might be looking at search data using Google’s Keyword Tool or any other tools. Then you see that there is no search volume for the long-tail keyword that you want to target. Don’t fret. Having no search volume does not mean that it will not show up in search results. Long-tail keywords are actually valuable. In the video below, Rand Fishkin talks about how valuable long-tail keywords are.
How to Choose the Right Long-Tail Keywords
Choosing the right long-tail keyword for your WooCommerce store is not difficult if you know who your customers are. If you already have a definitive image of your customers, then that’s a good thing. If not, it is imperative to identify your customer persona.
When you’ve created your customer persona, put yourself in your customers’ shoes. Think. What keyword would you search for if you were looking for the product you are selling? There is no single correct way to go about this. Most of the time, you will find that customers are looking for something specific. And once you identify that, that’s what you optimize for.
How Does Long-Tail Fare vs Popular Keywords?
If you choose to optimize for regular keywords, then you’re going to have a hard time getting to Page 1 of Google’s search results page. And if you don’t hit page one, then it won’t even matter. Page 1 of the search results page shows the top 10 results for the keyword. If you are ranked 11th, you’ll hardly get any traffic. This is not meant to discourage you to pursue the big keywords since it is not an impossible feat. It is possible but it’ll take some real genius or a lot of luck. Long-tail keywords, on the other hand, are easier to rank for.
Use Long-Tail Keywords with Other SEO Best Practices
Using long-tail keywords alone won’t make your e-commerce store a conversion powerhouse. You need to use these keywords with other known SEO best practices. If you are using long-tail keywords right but doing everything else wrong, then it is not likely that you will get conversions.
You should create quality content that is easy to read. You should use proper URL structuring. Make your URLs readable. Implement proper navigation and good user interface. Upload a sitemap and make sure search engines can crawl your site. Use images properly and optimize your site for increased conversion. There’s a lot more to this but here’s a guide from Google to help you get started on best practices.
And that explains why you should use long-tail keywords for your WooCommerce store. If you have any questions, let us know in the comments.
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