Long Tail Keywords: This is the phrase you’re targeting to rank for on Google. The reason you’re going after long tail keywords is because the competition is a bit lower. It’s easier to rank for “how to lose weight after pregnancy” than it is to rank for the shorter term “how to lose weight.” Keyword research is a bit of an art. You’re looking for keywords that you’re knowledgeable about, that you’re able to rank for and that have a decent monthly search volume. In the equation above I didn’t use “low competition” because if you’ve already blogged for a while, you may be able to rank for more competitive words. If you’re just starting your blog, look for low competition keywords. I also didn’t state to only go after high monthly search volume words. If you’re writing a post dedicated to promoting an affiliate product, you can go for lower monthly search volume words. Because if you do have an affiliate blog post that ranks high, your conversions will be better. For example, this mom blogger made almost $1,000 per month just from Amazon’s affiliate program because her blog post reviewing baby play mats ranked number one. Lastly, you want to write a blog post on a keyword that you’re knowledgable about. Most blog posts that rank in the #1 spot are over 2,000 words long. So make sure you have advice and new tips to share on the topic you’re targeting.