Search Engine Optimization in Dallas TX

Taking on an SEO campaign is no small feat but by doing some research before you begin targeting keywords it is always the best place to start. Depending on your business niche, you may be faced with a high level of competition for your main keyword phrase. Trying to be the top search engine results page can be more difficult when you are targeting a broad keyword phrase.

Indeed, it is easier to get to the top for phrases the more specific you get. However, more specific searches tend to yield a higher conversion, where general searches lead to higher traffic but perhaps a lower conversion. So before you start out ask yourself, are you looking for more traffic to increase awareness of your product and gain ad revenue or are you looking for higher conversions?

Higher traffic means you will need to rank high for competitive keywords, which can be done but just realize that it takes more time and effort. Also understand that by optimizing for a higher conversion means you may have less traffic but the visitors to your site found you because you are offering exactly what they are looking for.

To go a little deeper, let's take the example of the keyword phrase “shoes”. If you are a relatively new site and trying to get to the top of search results by targeting the keyword of “shoes” you may find it difficult to gain any traction. The competition level for the keyword of “shoes” is high and filled with established sites with huge inventories of products. Competing with these stores is not realistic when are just starting out. Instead of trying to rank for “shoes”, start by optimizing your site for a very specific keyword niche.

Try ranking for “basketball shoes” or “running shoes” first. Go even more specific and try ranking for “White and red basketball shoes”. You will find it is easier to move to top of SERPs the more specific you make the terms. You can get to the top of search results for your “shoes” keyword one day if you but the work in and make a dedicated effort, it just may take a while.

So when you are targeting your keywords think about whether you really want to rank #1 for shoes. Do you offer a more specific product than just shoes? Do you specialize in dress shoes? Athletic shoes? Brand names? This means you will need to develop a list of terms from “short tail” to “long tail” search terms. Your short tail terms are one, two or three word phrases and your long tail keywords are just extensions and variations of your short tail phrases. Long tail terms will have a higher conversion because they are more specific.

Why I Believe that Long Tail Terms are Better Than Short Tail:

Of course it would be nice to rank #1 for “shoes” but that may require extensive link building efforts to get to the first page. The long tail search terms can get you in the top three search results with a higher conversion on those words, and isn't higher conversions what you ultimately want? So my advice as an SEO is to ultimately shoot for the short tail terms that may be the most competitive but strongly rely on your long tail terms to give your site the strength and authority to move up in the SERPs.

These more specific keywords will be less competitive and easier to rank for and also tend to yield higher conversions. As I mentioned before, when you are the top search result for a very specific search term, you have a great chance at converting that visitor.

You want your SEO campaign to be two fold. One get your site ranking for the “low hanging fruit” non competitive keywords first. By gaining these SERPs you get exposure to your site and you may even draw some links. The ultimate goal is to rank for that super competitive keyword term but you have to start somewhere. SEO can, at times, be a slow moving process but the investment pays off when you achieve results that are long lasting.