Years ago, when I first heard the phrase 'Long Tail Marketing' I did a double take and wondered what the heck the phrase was referring to? Little did I know then how important a factor it would play in the overall success of my online websites.

I first heard of Long Tail Marketing from Chris Knight who runs Ezinearticles.com, an online article site which is ranked around the Top 500 sites on the Internet. Ezinearticles had also sent over 50 thousand unique visitors to my main website so I knew any marketing information coming from Chris was the real deal.

Unfortunately, when you run several sites on Internet marketing you are constantly bombarded with online marketing products, techniques and the latest marketing fads... you become very cynical of the latest trends. I only half-heartily started testing Long Tail marketing - huge mistake - for I immediately started seeing results with my online sales. Just wish I had paid more attention to Chris's advice on Long Tail marketing and implemented it sooner in my overall marketing strategy.

It has made all the difference in the profitability of my websites. The reasons why are explained below, as well as a detailed description of Long Tail Marketing and how you can use it to boost or increase your online sales.

Don't make my initial mistake, discover everything you can about Long Tail Marketing and start using it in your own marketing.

What is Long Tail Marketing?

Long Tail Marketing refers to the technique or method of using a long string of keywords when targeting prospective buyers. Instead of using/targeting one or two single keywords in your online marketing - you use a longer keyword phrase or a whole group of related keywords - thus the name, a long tail or string of keywords.

Perhaps, the best way to explain Long Tail Marketing is to use a simple example. Lets say you have a travel business and you have an online site associated with your business. Instead of targeting the keyword 'vacations' which will be very competitive and very hard to place on the first page SERPs in the major search engines such as Google, MSN, Yahoo... now with Long Tail Marketing, instead of targeting the broader competitive keyword 'vacations', you target a longer, more precise phrase - 'honeymoon vacation packages to Niagara Falls'.

Keep in mind that keywords are the exact words surfers type into search engines to find what they're looking for on the web. You can plainly see that the second keyword phrase is more targeted than the general keyword 'vacations'.

Why is Long Tail Marketing So Effective?

There are several reasons why Long Tail Marketing is so effective. It has narrowed down and targeted exactly what the prospective buyer is searching for. It is precisely the product or service that they intend to buy. It's only a matter of you selling it to them.

But more importantly, by using Long Tail Marketing, you have found the prospective buyer at the exact time or stage when they are ready to buy. You have found them at the right moment in their buying process - they have made up their minds to exactly what they want and are just looking for a quality product or service to meet their needs. You satisfy their needs with a quality product or service.

Lets look at an example from my own marketing, I run a simple online laptop guide within one of my sites. Instead of targeting the very competitive and unreachable general keyword 'laptops', I go for a longer keyword phrase such as 'best gaming notebook'. And the even more targeted 'Alienware Aurora m7700' - someone searching for the last keyword phrase more than likely has already decided on what type of gaming laptop they want to buy. This last keyword phrase is much more likely to convert into a sale.

How do I Use Long Tail Marketing with My site?

Remember back to when you last bought something online, what keywords did you use to find it? If you have an online business, you must target the keyword phrases your customers would use to find your product or service. You have to find these keyword phrases and use them in your marketing.

Most professional marketers use some type of keyword software to research their keywords and keyword phrases. I use the very powerful Keyword Elite by Brad Callen and it quickly gives me all the keyword information I need to put my Long Tail Marketing into place.

But this software is expensive, so another alternative would be to use such sites as Wordtracker or the one I like www.nichebot.com - it will tell you how many searches are made each month for your chosen keyword phrase and give you some indication of your competition.

The real beauty of using Long Tail keywords - there is little or no competition for your keywords. You will find it easier to place on the first page of the different search engine for your targeted phrase. If you do Pay-Per-Click advertising, you will save on costs by using Long Tail keywords. Plus, both your conversion rate and ROI will be higher.

Marketing Tip: Always create a page on your site for each Long Tail keyword phrase you target, place it in the title and the url. Plus, if you write articles, place your keyword phrase in the title of your article and syndicate your articles around the web using sites like Ezinearticles.com mentioned above.

Of course, all income results from Long Tail Marketing or any marketing method will depend on your own effects and marketing abilities. No one can guarantee sales but I hope you will give Long Tail Marketing a go. It is simple, direct and effective.

Long Tail Marketing has made all the difference in how profitable my sites have become. It is the one marketing method I use daily and plan to use for years to come. In fact, Long Tail Marketing has become the backbone of my whole online business. Go figure!

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The author is a full-time online marketer who operates numerous websites, including two sites on Internet Marketing. Copyright © 2006 Titus Hoskins.

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