Informational Search and Long Tail SEO
As the Internet has become more crowded, digital marketers have had to find more efficient ways to generate organic search traffic. Gone are the days when we could rank a website for single word searches with just a few months’ work. Today, not only do we have to look beyond the single word searches, but also 2-3 key word combinations have become increasingly competitive. This phenomenon has given rise to the term “long tail SEO”, which is very closely linked with informational search and semantics. But, what exactly does “long tail SEO” mean, and how is it possible to target it?
Chasing the Long Tail
Long tail SEO refers to both long search phrases and uncommon searches. For example, while “best mobile phones” may have one of the highest search volumes in the mobile phone industry, it will be extremely difficult for a new shop to rank for this phrase. However, by creating in-depth information that is SEO optimised, it may be possible to rank somewhere for “how many pixels is the camera on the latest iPhone?”, and this can drive consumers who are looking for a specific product.
This type of search is also called an informational search – the other two types of search are transactional (when a person is looking to purchase now) and navigational (when a searcher is looking to find a specific brand or website).
The Power of Informational Search Queries
Without information pages, which are usually in the form of blog posts, every business website is essentially limited by its range of products and services. If you cannot rank these pages, you will not generate any significant organic traffic. Also, informational search is a huge part of the market – somewhere between 50% and 80% of all searches are informational in nature, so any enterprise ignoring this is losing out on a vast amount of potential business.
The main purpose of starting an informational search campaign is to deliver more organic traffic to a website. Usually, this traffic is delivered to newly created informational pages which then guide readers to the sales pages – often referred to as the SEO sales funnel.
Just Brand Building?
There is a perception that informational search does not lead to more business, because searchers are only interested in reading, and not buying. However, the key to good informational SEO is to create pages that are ultimately sales pages – use organic SEO to get people on the site and then drive them to your product pages.
However, there is an added benefit, which helps in the longer term – the more people who find your company website, the more people who become familiar with your business brand. While readers are not going to make you rich today, over time they may return to your website, seek your services on social media or refer friends and family. None if this is possible without first leaving a positive impression, and this is why providing excellent information is so important.
Types of Informational Search
Each industry if different, but in general, the best way to target the long tail is through the creation of in-depth content, timely news pieces, entertaining blog posts and multimedia publications in the form of video and graphics. In general, longer blog posts rank higher in Google than short posts – more content is a winning strategy.
A basic strategy is to brainstorm questions relating to your products and services and write articles that answer these. This is where you need to delve into your customer database, if you have one. If customers have asked questions via email, or telephone calls have been logged, then you will have a list of common, and some not-so-common, questions that have been asked about your services. With this, you can start creating your content.
Following an informational search campaign you will start to generate more interest in your business website. The next challenge is to funnel your new readers to your product pages.
If you need some help and guidance with the creation of articles and blog content, contact Freelance SEO Essex today.
