Head keywords are only one or two words long, such as “WordPress themes” for example. Because these are usually filled with results from high-profile brands, they are very hard to rank and give us very little insight as to what the user was initially searching for. Using this example, we can never know if the user’s intention was to search for downloadable WordPress themes, or to find a definition of themes, or if they are looking to find out which themes are the most popular?
Head keywords should appear naturally throughout the content on your website. Trying to use them to gain a higher ranking is often a futile effort.
Next come mid-tail keywords, usually 2-5 words long and easier to gauge the user’s search intent. A good example of which would be “best WordPress themes”. Even though this keyword range is only somewhat competitive, you’ll still have a much better chance of success using them. Mid-tail keywords with a lot of high-quality competition are usually easier to find.
Finally, we have long-tail keywords, which consist of five words or more, and very specific. In the example “List of best WordPress themes for writers”, the user’s intent is pretty obvious, while competition is quite low. On the other hand, finding quality long-tail keywords that are popular enough to be worth your time can also be difficult.
So which type of keyword should you go for?
If they have enough search volume (the number of searches within a certain period), targeting long-tail keywords is usually the best practice. Head keywords are just too short, competitive, and non-specific. These might be searched frequently, but breaking past the traction of popular brands is all but impossible. Bottom line, mid-tail and long-tail keywords are your best bet for reaching your target audience.
Keep reading the article at Elementor Blog. The article was originally written by Nick Schäferhoff on 2020-01-22 08:02:40.
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