How to Write Long-tail Keyword Articles

Many writers don’t know how to write long-tail keyword articles. 

Think of your doctor’s office. They call you for your birthday. Within seconds you know something is wrong. It’s a recording wishing you the best and inviting you to get a wellness check. It doesn’t matter what they are saying. The obvious, forced, awkward recording becomes the center of attention. 

That’s what a long-tail keyword article feels like at times.

Writers and brands sometimes put so much attention to the long-tail keyword, that they forget about the content itself. The keywords feel stuffed and forced and it becomes a distraction. Bad articles will always be bad articles. If you rank, it only means more people will read your bad content (temporarily, when search engines realize the bounce rate is high).

When you provide great articles, your readers will want to know more about your brand and engage with it. It will help your SEO as search engines learn that your resources are credible and valuable.

How to write long-tail keyword articles that get ranked AND offer value without feeling forced? Follow these simple steps.

Focus on Substance First

When we are searching for long-tail keyword opportunities, we tend to think in terms of the keyword first. That’s 100% alright during the research phase. When it’s time to write, we need to shift the focus on the quality of the article and answering the search intent.

Throughout the article, we are going to use one randomly selected long-tail keyword term so we can visualize how we can apply these techniques. We’ll use: “why does my coffee taste bitter”.

A bad long-tail keyword article would find every possible way to include this phrase. You’ll read awkward sentences like: “After you drink your coffee, you wonder why my coffee tastes bitter.” It doesn’t sound natural and we mix tenses to make the keyword work.

First, outline your article for true value. Research what causes bitterness in coffee through every situation. What are ways to minimize it? What is the perfect level? Is there a way to universally measure bitterness in coffee? Putting the substance first will make sure the article is a powerful, timeless resource for your readers.

Include Variations of Long-tail Keywords

We’ve learned that including a long-tail keyword phrase in an article may sound forced depending on quantity, tenses, and unnatural flow. The good news is that we can apply variations. We can write a list of possible options and research which ones have a great search volume.

Long-tail keywords reflect the unique diversity of human searches. When deciding how to write long-tail keyword articles, think of a real person in your target audience opening up the page. Many versions could work. You want to focus on one main phrase, but including secondary terms will strengthen your discoverability. Add them when your primary long-tail keyword phrase does not work.

Consider the following paragraph that includes a primary keyword and secondary ones (underlined):

You drink the coffee. The first thought that pops into your head is “why does my coffee taste bitter?” That’s the worst feeling you could get on a busy morning before you head to work. The good news: bitter coffee is avoidable. Once you learn WHY your coffee is bitter, and how you can improve it, you won’t have to taste bitterness from a hot cup for the rest of your life.

This version (possibly exaggerated to fit in one paragraph for this example) uses variations of the long-tail keyword and still engages with the reader’s experience.

Find Creative Ways to Input Your Long-tail Keyword Phrases

We’ve focused on the quality of the article and how we can use keyword variations to strengthen SEO, but how do you use the actual phrase naturally while maintaining the strength of the article?

There are a few practical techniques we could add to your long-tail keyword article.

1. State it as a transition after the introduction

For example, our article may be titled: “Why Does My Coffee Taste Bitter?” After we introduce the concept and we are ready to jump into the body of the article we can add a transitionary phrase or title to launch it. “Why Does My Coffee Taste Bitter: 5 Steps to Eliminate It” or “Solving the Case: Why Does My Coffee Taste Bitter?”. It re-emphasizes the topic and includes the long-tail keyword phrase.

2. Make it an H2 titled section

You can’t do this with all titles or it’s too distracting but you can pick one, preferably one of your middle titles in the body. Something like: Think of The Exact Moment You Ask “Why Does My Coffee Taste Bitter”. This section can dive into the trigger of bitterness like what part of the tongue tastes the flavor.

3. Add it to the conclusion H2

Your long-tail keyword can easily work in your conclusion section. You can state: “Recap: Why Does My Coffee Taste Bitter?”

4. Find ways to add it to the body

Lastly, you can find a way to casually add it to the body. I suggest finding the most natural moment. You won’t need to do too many of these if you have followed the previous steps mentioned in the article. Keep it natural.

Create a FAQ at the End

If you want to go one step ahead by optimizing your long-tail keyword phrase and reinforcing the value and experience of the article, add a FAQ at the end. You can answer commonly asked questions on the topic, mention your long-tail keyword, and include variations.

For example, questions like:

~ Why does my coffee taste bitter? (We would add a one-sentence answer to this since it was covered in the article) 

~ What is the most common cause of bitter coffee? 

~ What does the perfect coffee taste like? 

~ What are great coffee grinders and makers that prevent bitterness? 

~ Does temperature affect coffee bitterness?

As you can see, many of these sound like possible search terms and could easily be the suggested phrases Google provides at the bottom of a page.

Summary: How to Write Long-tail Keyword Articles

You might have noticed I’ve followed some of these steps in writing this article. While you’ve seen examples about coffee, review this article again in the same context for the keyword phrase: how to write long-tail keyword articles. This shows how you can have a great experience reading an article that also has optimized long-tail keywords.

Writing long-tail keyword articles depends on the value of the content first. It should include several references to the keyword phrase. Most importantly, it should be an enjoyable experience for readers. Keyword phrases provide discoverability. Great articles build your audience and move them to action.

FAQ

How to write Long-tail keyword articles? 

Pick a long-tail keyword phrase, focus on the value of the article, and make it read naturally. 

Which long-tail keywords are good to choose? 

Finding the right long-tail keywords requires research. Look for search volume and competition to see if there is an opportunity to rank. 

What happens if I write one article per variation of long-tail keywords? 

I encourage adding variations to a high-value piece of content. While it’s case-by-case, writing too many articles on the same thesis will help you become discoverable but will push away your audience because of redundancy.

John Paul Hernandez helps brands grow through content that engages customers and promotes them to action. You can find out more about John Paul at JohnPaulHernandez.com