8 Ways to Find the Best Long-Tail Keywords

Ranking well for competitive keywords is incredibly tough for the average small business. That's why more specific and less competitive keywords can make a huge difference. For many, long-tail keywords (in aggregate) add up to the majority of their website's search-driven traffic.
(If you aren't familiar, "head" terms are more popular and more frequently searched: like "road bike." Long-tail keywords are longer and more specific: "aluminum vs carbon frame road bike.")
A long-tail keyword could be the title and topic for a highly targeted blog post or article (or video or infographic or other content.) Or a long-tail keyword could be used to further optimize a longer article or guide that targets one primary keyword.
And if you're running pay-per-click (PPC) ads, long-tail keywords are usually a lot less expensive.
The key, of course, is to identify the best long-tail keywords for your business, so I asked Elisa Gabbert, a Content Manager at the PPC and search engine marketing company WordStream, for tips:

1. Use Google Suggest
Google Suggestions can be a great source of long-tail keyword variations. Simply start typing your primary keyword into the Google search box and check out the variations Google suggests.
Longer-tail keywords that Google suggests are phrases people actually search for. You may not want to use them all but you will get a great indication of which search terms are popular. You'll definitely uncover some surprising combinations.

2. Use Google Related Searches
The same principle applies as with Google Suggest; Related Searches appear at the bottom of the search engine result page, below the last organic result.
Keep in mind the suggestions may be somewhat personalized for your geographic location.

3. Use a Variety of Keyword Research Tools
If you only use one keyword tool every time you do keyword research, you're selling yourself short and probably missing out on tons of long-tail keyword variations. The Google Keyword Tool is a great basic tool and a good place to start, but if you're looking for more long-tail keywords, try these other options too:

• WordStream Keyword Tool: A free keyword tool that will generate more long-tail suggestions than most other tools. (The Keyword Niche Finder is great for this purpose, too.)
• Google Trends: To determine currently popular searches.
• Social Media Tools: For example, YouTube's Keyword Tool and Twitter Search.

The more keyword tools you consult the more long-tail keyword variations you're likely to find.

4. Dig into Your Analytics
Your analytics will tell you many, if not all, the keyword phrases that lead visitors to your website. By digging through those keyword referrers you'll find a number of long-tail queries that are already driving traffic.
Those keywords may be relevant to your business but not yet highly targeted by a single page on your site. For example, a few years ago Wordstream found that a lot of people wound up on its site by searching the phrase "what's a good click through rate." At the time, the company didn't have a page with that title--so the team wrote one and now it drives tons of traffic.
To find your own private store of long-tail keywords, go into your analytics and locate your organic keyword referrals (in Google Analytics, the path is Traffic Sources -> Sources -> Search -> Organic).
You can scan all the terms for good, relevant long-tail keywords you can turn into content or you can set the time frame to something fairly broad (depending on your traffic flow, try a three-, six-, or 12-month period.) Then search for patterns. For example, you might search for question keywords (like terms that begin with "what," "why," etc.)

5. Dig into Your Search Query Reports
If you're running a PPC campaign in AdWords, don't forget to use your Search Query Report the same way you use your analytics. The Search Query Report shows the search queries that drove people to click on your ads rather than your organic search results.
As an added bonus, you get more comprehensive access to this data than you do with organic referrers in Google Analytics.
It also may be easier to see which keywords are driving conversions and not just traffic. High-converting long-tail keywords are especially worth chasing.

6. Browse eHow
Sites like eHow are basically fueled by keyword research--primarily long-tail keyword research. They use powerful algorithms to find long-tail keywords they can rank for with hyper-targeted content.
You might not have their data sources or content algorithms on your side, but you can still learn from their methodology.
Take a look around: If eHow is targeting a keyword phrase you can bet it has search volume and advertisers interested in buying placement on those pages.
Another good bet? Whatever they produced to target those keywords is generally lame. The content eHow churns out tends to be thin--and it's precisely the kind of content that post-Panda Google no longer favors.
If you create strong content with real value that is also hyper-targeted you have a good chance of eventually outranking the content farms.

7. Browse Wikipedia
Is Wikipedia the most optimized site on the Internet? It's definitely up there. That means you can learn a lot by copying Wikipedia's on-page optimization.
When doing research around a base term, try checking the Wikipedia page. For example, look at the table of contents for a fairly broad term; say, "horse racing."
Check out the Contents box. Many of the headings translate into long-tail keywords: "history of horse racing," "history of thoroughbred horse racing," "types of horse racing betting," etc.
You can also do a page search for your primary keyword to see variations that appear throughout the text. And the "See also" section at the bottom of many Wikipedia articles can help you find clusters of related terms.

8. Borrow From Your Competition
Start with head and mid-tail terms that you want to rank for, then see what keyword variations are used on the pages that rank in the top five to 10 spots.
For example, say the head keyword you're chasing is "gift baskets." It's no surprise that the page that ranks first for that head keyword is filled with "gift basket" combinations. You may not be able to beat them with the head or mid-tail term, but the longer-tail versions could definitely be up for grabs.

http://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/8-ways-to-find-the-best-long-tail-keywords.html

Build a Killer Website: 19 Dos and Don'ts

If you do it right, your website can be the best marketing tool you have. Ilya Pozin, founder of the Web design firm Ciplex, on how not to screw it up.

I’m continually surprised by how many people call my design company with very firm ideas about what they want on their business website and yet, they haven’t thought through some of the most basic questions first. For this reason, our first question is always “Why do you need a site?,” not “What do you want on it?”

At bottom your website is a marketing tool. For many businesses, it’s the only source of business. If done right, it can be a major part of yours.

Here’s my quick-hit list of the top dos and don’ts before you get started:
Do:

1. Set smart goals. And make sure they’re measurable. Here are a few great ones a Web designer wants to hear: increase conversion rates, increase sales, generate more leads, reduce overhead, and improve brand awareness.
   
2. Plan on becoming an SEO wizard. Sure, you’re going to want help from the pros and eventually you might even need your own in-house SEO expert, but search engine optimization is something you need to know about too. It has one of the highest ROIs in marketing. Plus, do it right and SEO can literally put your marketing on autopilot, allowing you to focus on improving the quality of your business, instead of figuring out how to bring in customers to your site. Start reading SEOmoz and stay up to date with SEO changes by reading sites like search engine land.
   
3. Use open source tools. You could go with a proprietary content management system (CMS) but that means you’re typically stuck with one company and paying hefty license fees to boot. Do yourself a favor and go with an open-source system—I like WordPress and Magento—that any developer can access.
   
4. Think about your mobile strategy simultaneously. Research the percentage of your visitors that are likely to use mobile devices to access your site. If it’s high, you may want to consider building a separate mobile version of your site, or even an app. If it’s relatively low, just make sure your website works on smart phones, but don’t invest into a mobile version.
   
5. Steal from your competitors. Before you build your site, check out your competitors and write down the things they do well. If you like the look and feel of another site, there’s no reason not to start with something you like and then make it your own.
   
6. Develop your content. The biggest slow-down in the Web design process is content. If you’re going to sell products on your site, get product photos and product descriptions ready. If you sell services, you’ll need a description of each service. Get as much of your content together before you start building your site—it will save you weeks. And while you’re at it…
   
7. Write with calls to action in mind. Good calls to action allow visitors to quickly decide what they want to do next. Having a big sale? Don’t just write a banner that says “50% off all products.” Write one that says “50% off all products, CLICK HERE to view them.”
   
8. Always answer the question “why?” Have you ever walked up to someone you’ve never met, handed them a business card, and walked away without saying a word? Likely not. If you want people to do something on your website, such as sign up for your newsletter, don’t just put up a box that says “enter email” or even “sign up for newsletter”—you’ll get a very weak conversion rate. Tell them why they should do it: “Sign up for our newsletter to receive weekly specials.” Same thing goes for Twitter and Facebook logos. Just putting them up isn’t smart. Tell people why they should follow you on Twitter or friend you on Facebook. What will they get out of it?
   
9. Trust your Web designer. I tend to see the worst end results with customers who come in with a “I know what I want, just do what I tell you” attitude. You hired an expert because they know more than you, right? Let them do what they do best and they’re more likely to meet and often exceed your goals.

Don’t:

1. Do it yourself. I know—I run a Web design firm, so of course I’m going to say this. But seriously, your website is often where your customers’ first experience your brand. If it looks homemade, they’re going to make assumptions about your business that you want to avoid.
   
2. Make people think. When visitors come to your website, they typically already know what they want out of it. Do a three-second test: If within three seconds a visitor can’t figure out what to do next, go back to the drawing board.
   
3. Expect visitors. Lose the “if you build it, they will come” mentality. Simply putting up your site will not result in any visitors.
   
4. Spend all your money. Don’t max out your entire budget on the website. You can get a well-designed site for under $1,000 from a freelancer, or a few thousand dollars from a professional agency. And you can always make improvements as your business grows. It’s far more important initially to have some money left over for a marketing budget so you can actually make a return on your investment.
   
5. Add a blog. Are you really going to write posts? Be honest. If you won’t, then forget about a blog. A website with an outdated blog can create the perception that your company is small or even out of business.
   
6. Add Twitter and Facebook buttons. If a potential client clicks through to your social pages and sees hardly any followers, they may lose trust in you. First build up your social presence, then commit to posting and engaging your fans on a regular basis, and only then promote them on your website. Also keep in mind that some businesses simply don’t belong on Twitter or Facebook.
   
7. Try to please everyone. Your website will be a mess if you try to accommodate every type of visitor who might come along. Figure out who is likely to be your most frequent users and focus on creating the best experience for them.
   
8. Add testimonials. Building credibility is important, but too often testimonials sound fake. “’They are great!’ says John Smith” simply isn’t believable. If you’re going to have testimonials make sure they are specific, and something people can relate to.
   
9. Use Flash. Some sites still need it, but if you can, avoid it. Adobe just announced that it will no longer support Flash on mobile devices and set-top-boxes. The last thing you want is for a potential customer to be unable to open your site.
   
10. Expect a killer website overnight. Good websites take time to build. If you want the best results out of your site, be prepared for several months of work.

  http://www.inc.com/ilya-pozin/build-a-killer-website-19-dos-and-donts.html