What Are Long Tail Keywords?
Enter the "Long Tail"
The long tail refers to a pattern of statistical distribution where a high- frequency population is followed by a low-frequency population that gradually trails -- or "tails" off. The long tail as it applies to keyword research is an amplification of a central, high volume keyword phrases to include various permutations and relevant phrases. This means a potentially higher number of visits based on random or highly specific searches. Even though the individual words that lie within that long tail do not generate much traffic on their own, the whole can be greater than the sum of the parts.
Long-tail search engine marketing, then, is the practice of attracting visitors who make infrequent queries on a site. Having access to only the top 50 to 100 of the most frequently used keywords related to a business means cutting off a majority of search traffic.
One of the main appeals of long-tail search engine marketing is its ability to broaden the reach of marketing to include low-frequency consumers. For example,most users when looking for a wedding ring might simply type "wedding ring." Still others might be more specific, with such keywords as "diamond wedding ring" and still others might search under "gold band diamond ring." Allowing for these variations -- mixtures of short, mid-length and longer phrases -- is one way websites can cover these bases.
