In this lesson we’ll be exploring the concept of long tail derivative keywords and how to use them to attract organic traffic to your website.

Specifically we’ll looking at:

(1) Expanding your keyword framework
(2) Understanding what long tail keywords are
(3) The difference between long tail derivative keywords and semantic long tail keywords
(4) How to find long tail keywords using Market Samurai

To begin with, I’d like to introduce you to a concept we call the ‘Keyword Tree’ which is a good way to visualize the framework necessary for building a keyword optimized website that attracts organic traffic.

Previously we discussed the process of identifying a theme keyword which becomes the main focus of your website. This theme keyword is equivalent to the trunk of your keyword tree.

We also discussed how to identify several category keywords which were related to your theme keyword and also had a reasonable amount of traffic and an acceptable level of competition. These category keywords make up the branches of your keyword tree.

Today, I’d like to introduce you to two additional types of keywords.

The first type are called Long Tail Derivative keywords

…and the second type are called – Semantic Long Tail keywords.

These keywords give your website greater breadth and relevancy and are equivalent to the leaves on your keyword tree.

So let’s take a look at each of these new keyword types in more detail.

In case you’re wondering what the term long tail actually means, a ‘long tail’ keyword is simply a phrase that contains several words. The more words in the phrase, the longer the tail.

Long tail derivative keywords are those that actually include the root keyword phrase. The easiest way to understand this is to look at an example.

Let’s say that your theme keyword was ‘sleeping bag’

A long tail derivative of this keyword might be ‘british army sleeping bag’.

As you can see in this example, the root keyword phrase ‘sleeping bag’ is contained within the long tail phrase which is why it is called a derivative.

Now semantic long tail keywords are phrases that do not contain the root keyword phrase exactly but are still semantically related.

So with the sleeping bag example, a semantic long tail keyword might be ‘mountain slumber bag’.

In this example, the initial keyword phrase ‘sleeping bag’ is not actually part of the long tail keyword phrase, but Google still sees them as being related.