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Long-Tail Keywords: How to Find Brand-Building Topics to Build Your Content Around

Writer's picture: Sorilbran StoneSorilbran Stone

When it comes to building your personal brand, creating content that truly resonates with your audience is essential. But how do you ensure that your content is discoverable and speaks directly to the people you're trying to reach? The answer lies in long-tail keywords. Unlike short, generic keywords that often get lost in a sea of competition, long-tail keywords are more specific and targeted, making them a powerful tool for attracting your ideal audience.


So, let’s talk about how to find the right long-tail keywords to build your content around, helping you increase visibility, establish authority, and connect with the people who are searching for exactly what you have to offer. From understanding your niche to using the best keyword research tools, and then integrating those keywords naturally into your content strategy, you’ll learn how to create content that not only ranks higher but also amplifies your personal brand. If you're looking for info on why we're leaning into long-tail keywords, click to read that post. Otherwise...


Let’s get started.


Understanding Your Niche

Before you start diving into keyword research, you need to have a solid grasp of your niche. Think of your niche as your personal brand’s home base. It’s the specific area of expertise where you truly shine — whether that’s personal branding for freelancers, sustainable fashion for eco-conscious consumers, or digital marketing for small businesses.


But why tho, Sorilbran? Because keyword research without a clear niche is a cross-your-fingers-and-hope approach to marketing. You need to know exactly who you’re talking to and what kind of content your audience is searching for. AND you need to know what the one or two things are that you’re really friggin good at. The more specific you get about your niche, the more targeted (and effective) your long-tail keyword strategy will be.


Ask yourself:

  • What topics do I feel most confident speaking or writing about?

  • What problems am I solving for my audience?

  • What areas do I want to be known for in my industry or community?


Once you have these answers, you can start identifying long-tail keywords that align with your personal brand’s unique expertise.


So, I’ll give you an example for my agency, Five-Talent Strategy:

Q. What topics do I feel most confident speaking or writing about? 

A. I’m an inbound marketing ninja, and I can literally read about, write about, and talk about search norms, search trends, and the future of search all day long. Like, all day. 



Q. What problems am I solving for my audience?

A. Time and team. For SMEs Five-Talent steps in to help them leverage content to amplify the brand and reach business goals. For High Performers, Five-Talent becomes the analysis and implementation machine that ensure no ideas or opportunities get wasted for lack of time to implement. 

Q. What areas do I want to be known for in my industry or community?

A. Using content to scale. Driving pipeline with content while leveraging search behaviors to help you increase visibility, authority, and credibility, both with search engines and with a wider audience.


Now, I know other stuff - I’ve been creating content for the internet for a decade and a half at this points. I’ve written dozens of books and hundreds of articles. I know more than SEO. But SEO is the one thing I’ve found that I’m good at, I have a weird obsession with, AND I’ve seen from being out in these corporate streets that it’s a pain point for many small businesses. So, while I may be tempted to step in and help with all the things, it makes the most sense for me to double-down on the one thing - SEO - to have the greatest impact. 

It’s the same for most of us. The more specific you get about your niche, the more targeted (and effective) your long-tail keyword strategy will be. Once you have these answers, you can start identifying long-tail keywords that align with your personal brand’s unique expertise.


With your niche firmly established, it's time to take the next step: finding the right long-tail keywords that will help you reach your audience.


Conducting Keyword Research of the Long-Tail Variety

Tools for Keyword Research

Now that you’ve defined your niche, it’s time to dive into keyword research. The right tools can help you uncover the long-tail keywords your audience is actively searching for, allowing you to create content that resonates with them and answers their questions. Here are a easy-to-use, easy-to-access tools to get you started:

  1. ChatGPT – My favorite This might be your easiest and most accessible tool, especially if you're new to SEO. You can ask ChatGPT for keyword ideas, get help identifying potential long-tail keywords, and even brainstorm variations based on your niche. It’s a great starting point for discovering relevant phrases and understanding how they fit into your content strategy. Plus, it's super user-friendly, requiring no special skills or setup.

  2. Answer the Public – This free tool visualizes search questions and phrases, helping you understand what people are searching for related to your niche. By entering a seed keyword, you can discover a range of long-tail keywords and questions that can inspire your content and ensure you’re addressing your audience’s needs effectively.

  3. Ubersuggest – Created by digital marketing expert Neil Patel, Ubersuggest is a beginner-friendly tool that helps you discover keyword ideas, check search volumes, and even see which keywords your competitors are ranking for. It's perfect for anyone looking for an easy-to-use, low-cost solution.

  4. Keywords Everywhere – This right here is my jam. It’s an extension I’ve used in my browser for three years or so at this point. This browser extension offers a convenient way to see keyword metrics directly in your search results. It provides valuable insights into search volume, cost-per-click, and competition levels for keywords you encounter online. Because it’s a browser extension, it’s never off, so you get to see the search volume for every single thing you search. Keywords Everywhere is great for quickly gathering data as you conduct your research.



Keywords everywhere - seo tool for finding long-tail keywords
Take a look at the monthly search volume Keywords Everywhere provides numbers below the search query and in the side panel.

These tools will be your secret weapon for discovering the exact long-tail keywords your target audience is using in their searches. Armed with this information, you can craft content that’s tailored to their needs and helps boost your personal brand’s visibility.


Finding the Right Keywords: A Step-by-Step Process

Let’s break this down into a simple, repeatable process for finding the best long-tail keywords for your personal brand:  

  1. Start with Seed Keywords: Begin by identifying a few broad, short-tail keywords related to your personal brand. For example, if your expertise is in fitness coaching for busy professionals, your seed keywords might be "fitness," "workout routines," or "healthy lifestyle."

  2. Expand with Long-Tail Variations: Use your chosen keyword research tool to expand those seed keywords into long-tail keywords. This might give you phrases like "fitness tips for busy moms," "quick workout routines for professionals," or "how to maintain a healthy lifestyle with a busy schedule." These long-tail phrases are specific, have less competition, and are more likely to connect with your target audience. And ChatGPT is great for helping you work through these ideas.

  3. Analyze Search Volume and Competition: Check the search volume and difficulty level for each keyword. You want to aim for long-tail keywords that have a decent amount of search volume but aren’t too competitive. This gives you the best chance of ranking high in search results without being drowned out by bigger brands. Keywords Everywhere is a great tool for looking at Search Volume. And Analyzing search competition can be as simple as typing a long-tail keyword into the search bar and seeing which publications, pages, and brands Google recommends for that query.

  4. Consider Your Audience’s Intent: Think about what your audience is really looking for when they type in a specific long-tail keyword. Are they looking for tips, tutorials, or product recommendations? Understanding search intent helps you create content that matches what your audience expects to find.

  5. Check Your Competitors: See what keywords similar personal brands in your niche are ranking for. Tools like Ubersuggest and Ahrefs allow you to spy on the competition and identify opportunities they might be missing. If they’re not ranking for certain long-tail keywords, you can swoop in and claim those spots.

  6. Align Keywords with Your Brand Values: Make sure the long-tail keywords you choose align with your personal brand’s voice, values, and content. You want these keywords to support the topics you’re passionate about and are capable of covering in-depth.

  7. Create a Keyword List: Compile a list of long-tail keywords you want to target. Organize them by topic, search volume, and competitiveness. This list will serve as your blueprint for content creation, guiding you on what to write, speak, or create videos about.


By following these steps, you'll be equipped with a tailored list of long-tail keywords that not only match your expertise but also help your personal brand stand out in search results. Now that you have your keywords, it’s time to put them to work in your content!


Implementing Long-Tail Keywords in Your Content Strategy

Content Creation Tips

Once you’ve identified the right long-tail keywords, it’s time to implement them into your content. But here’s the trick: the keywords need to blend naturally into your writing, so your content flows smoothly while still being SEO-friendly. Here are a few tips to help you create keyword-rich content without sounding robotic:

  1. Prioritize Natural Language: Search engines have evolved to recognize content that’s helpful and well-written. Focus on answering your audience's questions or solving their problems first, then weave your long-tail keywords into the text. Avoid keyword stuffing—adding your chosen keywords too often can actually hurt your ranking.

  2. Use Keywords in Key Locations: Sprinkle your long-tail keywords throughout important sections of your content. Aim to place them in your title, introduction, subheadings, and conclusion. However, always ensure they fit naturally and don’t disrupt the flow of your writing.

  3. Optimize for Voice Search: More people are using voice search, which means your long-tail keywords should mirror how people actually speak. When writing content, think about the questions people might ask in everyday language and incorporate those into your keyword strategy.


Content Formats

Long-tail keywords aren’t just for blog posts. They can be effectively used across a variety of content formats, each offering different ways to target your niche audience. Here’s how to use long-tail keywords in different types of content:

  1. Blog Posts: The classic go-to for content marketing. Use your long-tail keywords in the blog title, URL, meta description, and throughout the body of the post. Break your content into sections using subheadings, and place keywords naturally within those headings and the surrounding text. Blog posts are great for tackling specific questions or topics that align with your keywords.

  2. Videos: If video content is part of your brand, long-tail keywords are just as important. Include them in your video title, description, and tags to make your videos easier to discover. If you add a transcript, be sure your keywords appear naturally in the spoken content.

  3. Case Studies: Case studies are powerful for personal brands. They highlight your expertise and how you’ve applied it to solve real-world problems. Use long-tail keywords in your case study titles, client quotes, and results sections. These keywords help search engines understand the value of your case study and make it more likely to appear in relevant searches.

  4. Infographics: If your personal brand thrives on visual content, don’t overlook the importance of long-tail keywords. Include them in the title and description of your infographic, and if the graphic lives on a blog page, make sure the surrounding text also uses your targeted keywords. Infographics are highly shareable, which can further boost your search engine visibility.

  5. Podcasts: If you run a podcast, long-tail keywords can play a role in how episodes are discovered. Incorporate them into your episode titles, descriptions, and show notes. For maximum impact, create blog posts that summarize your episodes and use the keywords there too.

By strategically implementing long-tail keywords into a mix of content formats, you can maximize your personal brand’s visibility and drive traffic from multiple sources. It’s about making sure your content is tailored to both search engines and your audience, no matter what form it takes.


Conclusion

Building a personal brand using long-tail keywords is a process that starts with understanding your niche, identifying the right keywords, and strategically implementing them across various content formats. When done correctly, this approach not only boosts your search rankings but also helps you create content that resonates with your audience, positioning you as a trusted authority in your field. By mastering these techniques, your personal brand will not only be more visible but more credible and impactful as well.


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