Keyword research is a crucial foundation of any SEO strategy. Optimizing your content for the right search queries that potential customers are using can make a huge impact on your website traffic and conversions.
Most guides focus heavily on identifying and targeting primary “head” keywords in your niche like “SEO services“, “dog grooming”, “Saas Link Building” or “mountain bikes”.
However, solely going after these high-level keywords is unlikely to get you very far. The competition level on generic searches tends to be intensely high.
Instead, you need to leverage keyword modifiers to create less competitive, longer-tail keyword opportunities that draw in more qualified and convertible website visitors.
Keyword modifiers are additional words and phrases you can add onto a root keyword to make it more specific and targeted to user intent.
Some examples of keyword modifiers in action:
- Root Keyword: Pet supplies
- Modified: Organic pet supplies
- Modified: Discount pet supplies online
The major benefits of using keyword modifiers include:
- Creating longer, more targeted long tail keywords
- Helping your pages rank higher with less competition
- Attracting more relevant potential customers
- Indicating purchase readiness based on search intent
In this comprehensive guide for beginners, we’ll cover everything you need to know about keyword modifiers, including:
- The top types to consider
- Implementation best practices
- 50+ modifier examples
- Actionable tips to get started
Let’s dive in!
Why Keyword Modifiers Are Critical for SEO
Ranking high in Google and getting that coveted Page 1 search result takes an immense amount of effort. You need to develop authority with a powerful domain, build quality backlinks, create engaging content, and optimize effectively.
Even then, prying a top ranking away from established sites continues to get tougher year after year as the web expands exponentially.
This is especially true when targeting primary keywords that see tons of search volume like “hotel discounts”, “Guest Posting Service” or “men’s shoes”. Pages targeting these generic keywords often belong to authority sites or ecommerce stores, making it almost impossible to outrank.
So that’s why leveraging keyword modifiers to create longer-tail keyword opportunities is so critical.
Here’s why they should be an integral part of your organic search strategy:
1. Make Core Keywords More Targeted
Rather than trying to rank for just “pet supplies”, you could target “luxury pet accessories” or “custom pet beds”. These stand a much better chance.
2. Enable Ranking For Long-Tail Keywords
The longer & more targeted a keyword is, the less competitive it tends to be. More opportunity for your content to rank!
3. Attract More Relevant Site Visitors
Someone searching for “purple sweaters under $50” is a more primed shopper for what you’re offering vs just “sweaters”.
4. Indicate User Intent and Purchase Readiness
Queries with modifiers like “best price”, “discount” etc tend to be much further down the buyer’s journey.
The savvier you become leveraging keyword modifiers tailored around topics, geographies, pricing and more – the better results your SEO efforts will garner.
Main Types of Keyword Modifiers
There are a diverse range of keyword modifiers you can append to your base keywords. Generally, most fall into one of these four buckets:
1. Adjective Modifiers
These descriptors add detail about specific qualities and attributes of what the searcher is looking for.
Some examples:
- best
- top-rated
- trending
- popular
- fast
- cute
- lightweight
So for a website selling casual shirts, relevant adjective keyword modifiers could include:
- stylish casual shirts
- best lightweight casual shirts
- cute graphic t-shirts
Adjective modifiers help searchers narrow down options with preferences around style, fit, design, speed, and more.
2. Geographical Modifiers
As the name suggests, geo modifiers incorporate a location element like a city name, area, county or keywords like “near me”:
- Boston
- coastal
- Midlands
- near London
- downtown
Geo modifiers are incredibly powerful for service area businesses targeting local customers or hyper-localized products.
Some examples for a gardening and Link Building service targeting Devon could be:
- garden design Exeter
- landscaping company near Exmouth
- patio builders Torquay
3. Size Modifiers
For retailers selling products, modifiers around sizing can be very effective:
- extra-large
- petite
- 12-ounce
- economy-size
Clothing stores can optimize pages for terms like:
- plus-size formal gowns
- oversized hoodies for men
- 16 mm silver hoop earrings
And product companies can attract searchers seeking specific dimensions, volumes or quantities relevant to what they offer.
4. Price/Purchase Modifiers
Savvy shoppers often include modifiers centered around bargains, discounts or deals when searching:
- sale
- clearance
- best price
- coupons
Ecommerce brands should jump on including these modifiers in product content when applicable:
- luxury watches on sale
- clearance dresses under $50
- cyber week kitchen deals
Optimizing for these types of modifiers will put your offers in front of the most deal-seeking, conversion-primed searchers.
Best Practices for Keyword Modifiers Implementation
Armed with a stronger understanding of the most common keyword modifier varieties, how do you actually incorporate them into your SEO strategy?
Here is a step-by-step process:
Choose Your Modifiers Intentionally
Conduct keyword research using free tools or paid applications to analyze search volume and competitiveness for root keywords versus long tail variants using modifiers.
Identify where you have an opportunity to rank higher by extending your keyword targets. Do competitor comparisons to inspire additional modifiers surrounding topics, locations, product attributes, pricing, and more.
Optimize Pages for Modifier Keywords
Once you select your final longer-tail keyword targets, ensure you optimize your page content accordingly. This includes inserting the keywords naturally in titles, headers, paragraphs, alt text etc.
Doing so solidifies the relevance between search intent and page content to increase click-through rates.
Track Keyword Rankings Over Time
Use rank tracking software to monitor how your extended keywords perform over time. This will validate whether your modifier strategy is proving effective at increasing rankings.
Compare the trendlines between root and modifier keywords.
A/B Test Conversions
Beyond rankings, you want to confirm that the longer-tail traffic is actually converting better. Set up dedicated landing pages showcasing the products or services for those particular modifier keywords.
Then A/B test against your normal site pages to gauge impact on conversion rate.
Iterate Based on Findings
Treat keyword modifiers as an ongoing optimization lever, not a one-off effort. Continue researching new modifiers and refreshing page content as needed based on the search volume, rankings and conversion data you extract.
Rinse and repeat across top categories and products!
Common Keyword Modifier Examples
To spark your creative juices on relevant modifiers for your niche, here is an expansive list of 50+ examples across the different modifier types:
Adjective Keyword Modifiers
- Best budget
- Top rated
- Most popular
- Trendy
- Current
- High quality
- Durable
- Lightweight
- Classic
- Retro
- Unique
- Handmade
- Customizable
- Reusable
- Sustainable
- Ergonomic
Usage Keyword Modifiers
- For teenagers
- For seniors
- For women
- For men
- For creative professionals
- For book lovers
- For beginning photographers
- For tall people
- For pet owners
- For left handed golfers
Geographical Keyword Modifiers
- Near me
- In London
- In the Midlands
- By the beach
- In Rhode Island
- Salinas Valley
- Rural Vermont
- Suburban Chicago
- Coastal cottages
- Desert landscapes
Size Keyword Modifiers
- Plus-size
- Petite
- Oversize
- Extra small
- Economy size
- Family-size
- Industrial strength
- Heavy duty
- Portable
- Custom sizes available
Price/Purchase Keyword Modifiers
- On sale
- Discounted
- Clearance
- Best price guarantee
- Cyber week deals
- Cheap
- Bargains
- Under $100
- Compare prices
- Free shipping
With this expansive list, you can start brainstorming all types of keyword modifiers relevant to your products, services or local area that you can incorporate into your SEO initiatives right away.
Conclusion & Next Steps
Keyword research is often treated as an early one-off project before optimizing pages and creating content. But to excel at organic search in the long run, you need to take a more iterative, data-driven approach while leveraging modifiers.
Keyword modifiers present a tremendous opportunity to make your core terms more targeted, attract qualified visitors, rank for more long-tail searches, and boost conversions.
As opposed to trying to compete for ultra competitive keywords like “men’s wallets” or “Thai food”, identify strategic modifiers to narrow focus:
- “genuine leather men’s wallets”
- “quick Thai food takeout near me”
The beauty is you can still capture intent-driven searchers seeking those offerings while facing much less competition.
Be sure to:
- Conduct ongoing keyword research to find new modifiers with opportunity
- Optimize pages for long-tail modifier keywords
- Track rankings over time to validate effectiveness
- Iteratively test new modifiers based on learnings
The examples provided in this post should provide a launchpad to get you thinking creatively around modifiers for your niche.
See what kind of results you can drive by taking a targeted, long-tail approach to SEO powered by the right modifiers!
Have any other examples of effective keyword modifiers from your experience? Share them below!
Frequently Asked Questions On Keyword Modifiers
How many modifiers should I add to my base keywords?
There’s no exact right number. Aim for 2-4 additional modifiers for an optimal balance of targeting and search volume. Monitor performance over time.
Do modifiers negatively impact search volume?
Yes, adding more words does lower the search volume, but improves conversion potential from more relevant traffic. It allows winning specific subsets rather than competing broadly.
How do I assess if my modifiers are working?
Regularly track organic rankings for both root keywords and long-tail variations with modifiers using analytics software. Compare trends to identify impact.
Where is the best place to add modifiers on my page?
Keyword modifiers should naturally be inserted in page titles, headers, product titles/descriptions, alt text and evenly within the body content
How often do I need to refresh my modifiers?
Check for new modifier ideas during each quarterly keyword research analysis. Swap outdated modifiers for newer trends over time. Iterate based on traffic and conversion data.
