editorial

Long Tail Keywords: Best Kept Secret that Experts Don't Tell you About

Irene Watson

Last week I mentioned to use long tail keywords  and the question came up as "What are long tail keywords?"

First of all let's address what a keyword is.  Wikipedia says: a term used as a keyword to retrieve documents in an information system such as a catalog or a search engine.  What this really means is what keywords someone would type into a search engine when looking for information, and in our case, as authors, our book.

Now, let's talk about what "Long Tail" means.  The term was first coined in 2004 by Chris Anderson in Wired Magazine .  It's a statistical theory that shows collective sales of products in low demand can exceed that of bestsellers.  Low demand - that's us, isn't it?  (Yes, I know...we want to be high demand but let's face it, we aren't...but, read on.) If we apply this theory to Amazon, we see they make low-demand products available and at the same time achieve high profit margins by selling those low-demand products:  books by unknown authors. Yep, that's us.

Okay, so, that's all fine and dandy and confusing, but how do we sell more books? 

First of all, let's talk a little more about long tail keywords.  When they are applied to websites, the websites are most likely to get more low-volume search queries than a few of those that use specific keywords.  And, that's what we want - we want to capture those that want to specifically come to our site and not those that spend less than 3 seconds after they find out that's not where they want to be.
Next question:  What are long tail keywords?  Yes, I know...you've been waiting for this so here goes:  Long tail keywords are multi-phrase words that potential readers of your book use on search engines to arrive at your website.  They are targeted and fill the need of the visitor.  (Keywords used to be a succession of individual key words, separated by a comma, that described your product.)

Still confused?  Okay, I'll give you an example of my own personal website:  http://www.irenewatson.com  There I have three of my books listed:  Rewriting Life Scripts:  Transformational Recovery for Families of Addicts; The Sitting Swing: Finding Wisdom to Know the Difference;  Authors Access: 30 Success Secrets for Authors and Publishers.

Because each of the books has a different target market, I am challenged to capture potential readers of all books.  "Recovery" is my general keyword topic  for two of them, while my other books' general keyword topic is "writing." I have to decide what my highest priority is and for me; it is my most recent book "Rewriting Life Scripts: Transformational Recovery for Families of Addicts."  The long tail keywords within its niche on my home page are:

*recovery for addicts
*recovery for families of addicts
*rewriting life scripts in recovery
*help for families of addicts who are in recovery
*where to go when family members have an addict in recovery
*finding wisdom to know the difference in recovery
and then I threw in:
*secrets to writing a book
*how to write a book
*irene watson  (just in case someone is looking for me.)

As you can see, the long tail keywords are actual search queries that the potential visitor will key into the search engine.  Using long tail keywords optimizes the site and creates content to match search queries.  (When you change your keywords to long tail keywords give it time for all the search engines to spider your site. This could take up to 30 days.)

When I changed my keywords on my personal site to long tail keywords, I immediately started getting more visits; the visitors doubled in the first month and steadily growing. And, I get at least 10 new sign-ups a day for a free e-book.  (You can sign up for a free e-book too:  http://www.irenewatson.com)  My Google ranking went from a 1 to a 3.  For a site that once appeared stagnant this is pretty darn good.

So, why are you doing this? Because:

*you want to tap into your target market and drive potential buyers of your book to your site
*your site will rank better on search engines over weaker sites (those using individual keywords or none at all)
*you'll get more visitors to your site because your pages will be indexed for specific phrases that relate to your book
*your visitors are specifically targeted  - they get on your site because they want to be there.

There are a number of free and paid keyword programs available online but I'd do a lot of research before using or buying one. They are just programs and are generalized - they don't know your target market nor do they know your book.  The best "program" to create long tail keywords is you.

One more thing - go to your Google Analytics and record your stats. You'll want to use them as your baseline.

Okay, now go to your site and start creating long tail keywords.  Focus on your home page but also be sure to create long tail keywords for your all your other pages as well.   Next week I'm going to talk more about this and your next step to optimize and monetize your book website.

Comments?  I sure would like you hear what you have to say here.

PS - Be sure to come back and check out the featured authors!

Persuasive Online Copywriting Tips

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Fiction - Historical, Novel, France

The Sixth Surrender: A Novel

Hana Samek Norton

Plume (2010)
ISBN 9780452296237
Reviewed by Marissa Libbit for Reader Views (09/10)

Synopsis

In the final years of Aliénor of Aquitaine, the queen duchess launches a deadly dynastic chess game to safeguard the crowns of Normandy and England for her last surviving son, John Plantagenet. Caught in the middle is Sister Eustace, Aliénor’s young scribe, who must decide between her beloved home and an unthinkable marriage to a ruthless mercenary. With her promising debut, The Sixth Surrender, novelist Hana Samek Norton transports readers to thirteenth century France with vivid period details and rich storytelling certain to appeal to historical fiction lovers.

Read review of The Sixth Surrender
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Fiction - Mystery, Thriller, Horror

Grave Echoes: A Kate Waters Mystery

Erin Cole

AuthorHouse (2010)
ISBN 9781452070186
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (09/10)

Synopsis

Kate Waters suffers from narcoleptic hallucinations, frightening parallels that involve her unreachable sister, Jev, and a mysterious key.  When Kate receives the terrible news about Jev’s fatal car accident and acquires the strange key from her visions, she unlocks her sister’s world of perilous secrets involving witchcraft, poltergeist, and a heartless killer determined to get back what is his. 

In Grave Echoes by author Erin Cole, terrifying paranormal encounters, a trailing wolf, and an attempted murder of one of Jev’s friends forces Kate to turn to the one she fears most, the priestess of Jev’s coven, Thea.  She challenges Kate’s beliefs and provides her vital clues about her sister’s murder, but will Kate overcome her fears before anyone else dies?  To do so, she will have to trust in a world where the possibilities are unbelievable and the consequences are deadly.

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Spotlight - reader views literary awards winner

Kick Start Guy Book of the Year Award

Saffron Dreams by author Shaila Abdullah

Modern History Press (2009)
ISBN 9781932690736

Noted as "Word Artist" by critics, Shaila Abdullah is an award-winning author and designer based in Austin, Texas. Her creative work focuses on the strengths and weaknesses of Pakistani women and their often unconventional choices in life.

Abdullah's new novel Saffron Dreams explores the tragedy of 9/11 from the perspective of a Muslim widow. She received a grant from Hobson Foundation for that body of work. Her debut book, Beyond the Cayenne Wall, is a collection of stories about Pakistani women struggling to find their individualities despite the barriers imposed by society. The collection won the Norumbega Jury Prize for Outstanding Fiction and the DIY Festival Award, among other accolades.

Synopsis: From the darkest hour of American history emerges a mesmerizing tale of tender love, a life interrupted, and faith recovered. Arissa Illahi, a Muslim artist and writer, discovers in a single moment that no matter how carefully you map your life, it is life itself that chooses your destiny. After her husband's death in the collapse of the World Trade Center, the discovery of his manuscript marks Arissa's reconnection to life. Her unborn son and the unfinished novel fuse in her mind into one life-defining project that becomes, at once, the struggle for her emotional survival and the redemption of her race.

Read review of Saffron Dreams
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This week's video

The Empty Lot Next Door

Arthur M. Mills, jr.

Xlibris Corporation (2010)
ISBN 9781450072229
Reviewed by Lisa McCurley for Reader Views (07/10)

Synopsis

In an Austin neighborhood, Ray and his family moves into a small house standing in the midst of a strange, vacant lot where a house once stood, and where a huge wide hole in the back lays mysteriously. Ray and his friends consider the empty lot as an exciting playground.

But the tale behind the lot keeps the boy intrigued and frightened as he learns that the house that was once there was burned down years ago, leaving a girl dead amid the fire. The little girl, as the neighborhood kids say, comes out in the night to haunt those that dare jump in the hole that's in the empty lot.

Determined to validate the authenticity of this tale, Ray daringly and mistakenly challenges the "ghost", a challenge that he would forever regret. Soon, he becomes haunted by the little girl-who he named as Candle Face-visiting his dreams and leaving handprints and other signs even when he is awake.

read review and purchase book - perfect for Halloween