SEO Primer - Keywords And The Long Tail

Search Engine Optimization is an essential component of any online business. Understanding some SEO basics will improve how your online storefront shows up in the search rankings.

This article covers the SEO tactic of keyword saturation. "Keyword saturation" is the process of focusing your website content around a number of predetermined words and phrases that relate directly to your site content. As an online seller, you should sit down and think about the words that relate directly to your store's content. Think about the products you're selling and how visitors would search for those products - think about which words and phrases they would type into a search engine.

As on online seller, these words and phrases will often be the product categories and specific products your store carries. That's where the notion of The Long Tail comes in.

The idea of "The Long Tail" is attributed to Chris Anderson (former editor of "Wired" magazine). The premise is that the future of sales is in "selling less of more". For keywords, this means putting a focus on generating highly targeted traffic. "Targeted traffic" refers to visitors you bring to your store who are looking for something very specific.

The three basic tiers of keywords are:
1. High-level: These are generals terms that identify a basic idea or category. For example, "hockey" is a high-level keyword. In terms of sales, high-level keywords can generate significant volumes of traffic. But, that traffic is not highly targeted and will convert at a low rate.
2. Mid-level: These are specific terms that narrow the high-level keywords. For example, "hockey jersey" is a mid-level keyword. It is more specific than a high-level keyword. In terms of sales, mid-level keywords generate lower volume than high-level keywords. But, that traffic is more targeted and will convert at a slightly better rate.
3. Long Tail: These are very specific terms. For example, "vintage 1976 Hartford Whalers jersey" is a Long Tail keyword. It is much more specific than either the high- or mid-level keywords. It describes a particular item. In terms of sales, Long Tail keywords generate relatively low volumes of traffic. However, the traffic generated is highly targeted and will convert at a much higher rate.

In order to generate traffic, you need to put attention to all three tiers. You should put more focus on Long Tail keywords than high-level and mid-level. However, you do need each. By averaging out your keyword saturation along each tier, you help ensure consistent traffic volumes while not sacrificing your targeted traffic.

So, when you are creating your meta content (description and keywords), be sure to include your Long Tail keywords along with your high- and mid-level ones. When you're writing your site copy, be sure to saturate it with each of your carefully selected keywords.

Thomas Altamont is a Communications Analyst for Shopster.com.

Shopster.com is an industry leader in eCommerce. Shopster provides online storefront, dropshipping, and product source solutions for professional online sellers, as well as those just getting started in online retail.

Visit Shopster at http://Shopster.com/