Identifying Keywords - Longtail

[EJDekkers]

I need some clarification as to how exactly keywords work. I learned that I should focus on more specifically targeted long-tail keywords. However I am uncertain of how this actually works.

Say I decide to use the longtail keyword "online dyslexia test for children". Will my page only be found by people when they enter that exact search term or will it also be found when people search for any of the other terms containing the same words? For example like all the phrases below:

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Also if I have a page that I optimize for "online dyslexia test free" can I create another page for "free dyslexia test online" or will this be creating competition? In other words are these both unique keywords that will independently rank.

Last question about keywords is are they still important and what is the search volume you should be targeting with your keywords. (Allot of my long tail keywords only have around 20 monthly US searches)

Thanks!

Joy

[Chris.Menke]

EJD,

Maybe you've read it already but if not, be sure to absorb the info available here: How To Do Keyword Research - The Beginners Guide to SEO - Moz

In answer to your question,  generally, the more words in your target key phrase, the fewer other websites you'll be competing with in the search results, as most marketers tend to focus on the top tier words. By definition though, the further out you are on the "tail", the fewer searches there are being performed for that phrase.  Less  competitors means it's easier to rank highly but less searches means there's less traffic for you, even if you are on the top of the results.

You'll find that your list of keywords will vary in their competitiveness and as there aren't any good/easy keyword tools out there for doing long tail keyword research for terms with very small amounts of traffic, some amount of your traffic is going to be acquired by experimentation.  As a learning experience, I'd recommend that you go ahead and optimize a page for the "online dyslexia test for children" phrase and build your pages and your knowledge from there.  While you're in between optimization tasks on that first page, take time to become very familiar with the rest of the optimization guide, as all of that info will be helpful in coming to terms with your keyword research.