One of the crucial parts of setting up an AdWords campaign is selecting keywords to target. In fact, keywords are the most important targeting option you have, alongside geographical targeting, of course.

Too many people are tempted by short keywords, however, including single-word keywords. The temptation exists because of the search volumes that short keywords generate.

In reality, though, using longtail keywords in your AdWords Campaign is often the secret to success.

What Are Longtail Keywords?

In simple terms, longtail keywords are phrases of four or more words. For some campaigns, three-word keywords might also qualify as being a longtail keyword.

This means longtail keywords represent the detailed and highly specific searches that people do on Google. Take a look at these keyword examples:

• “hotels”
• “hotels in Auckland”
• “family hotels in Auckland north shore”

The first option will have the highest search volume, but if you are a hotel on Auckland’s North Shore catering to families, you will get better results from an AdWords campaign that targets the final keyword in the list above – the longtail keyword.

This is because the person searching is close to a buying decision, i.e. they know exactly what they want and are now looking for options to book. It is also easier for you to tailor your AdWords ad and landing page to this keyword.

Benefits of Using Longtail Keywords in Your AdWords Campaign

• Better CTR (click through rate) – even though the search volumes of longtail keywords are lower than shorter search phrases, the CTR is usually better. The main reason for this is the keyword is better targeted to the user, so your ad is likely to be more relevant to them. Remember as well that a high CTR will help with your campaign too, including, potentially, reducing the Cost Per Click (CPC).
• Targets people closer to making a buying decision – with longtail keywords, you can target people who are searching in Google with buying intent, rather than spending your money on clicks from people who are simply researching or who are in the very early stages of the buying cycle.
• More optimised landing pages – with longtail keywords, you can tailor your landing pages to make them more relevant to the people clicking through. As you know, landing pages are a crucial element to creating a successful AdWords campaign. You need to optimise them as much as possible which is much easier to do with longtail keywords.
• Better conversion rate – as the audience you will reach with longtail keywords is more targeted, it is more likely you will convert a higher percentage of them.
• Less competition – most longtail keywords also have lower rates of competition which means the CPC is lower than other keywords.
• Better CPA (cost per acquisition) – following on from the previous two points, CPA will improve with longtail keywords. After all, shorter phrases will cost you more per click, and you will convert fewer of those clicks into sales. With longtail keywords, you will convert more plus the money you must pay for the click in the first place is lower.

So, when creating a new AdWords campaign, don’t focus on high search volumes. Instead, think about things like CTR, CPC, and CPA. When you do, longtail keywords become much more attractive.

After all, which of the following would you prefer: targeting your ads at the right people and converting a high percentage, or displaying your ad to loads of people who are not really interested or not ready to buy?

The first option is much better, which means using longtail keywords.