Grab that lion by the tail

In search engine optimization parlance, a “long-tail” keyword is typically a three- to five-word phrase describing your business. When a prospect in need of your help enters a search term, you want to be on the first (or second) page of results returned by search engines such as Google and Bing. So how to you improve your chances of being on page one?

First, you need to determine the long-tail keyword phrase or phrases applicable to your organization and optimize your website for those phrases. Here are some examples:

• New Jersey truck insurance
• New York restaurant insurance
• Professional liability insurance
• Florida property and commercial insurance
• New Jersey coastal condominium insurance

The more keywords included in a phrase—the longer the tail, if you will—the narrower the results. Conversely the shorter the phrase (“auto insurance”), the broader the results. And the greater the competition to appear on page one.

It’s important to note that on-page SEO is only part of the job. For the most effective SEO, off-page optimization is also important. This includes things such as news releases, social-media marketing and e-publishing.