Editor’s note: Three Ships Media is a digital marketing firm based in Raleigh. Lauren Prosser is a solutions manager.

RALEIGH, N.C. – Google, organic search, better way, evolving online behavior, point-of-purchase, focus, target marketing, customer needs, lower costs, winning (at Three Ships, we practice what we preach)

These long tail search terms (three or more keyword phrases) are not only specific, but also very high intent.

Throughout the history of the modern world, we can point to a handful of critical changes that leveled the playing field for small and medium sized businesses: the Industrial Revolution, the invention of the personal computer, the launch of the Internet and the globalization of business.

The more detailed the search, the more aware and intentioned a potential buyer tends to be.

Each of these changes created a disruptive force that enabled businesses to compete in the marketplace by better understanding and serving the needs of their target markets.

Today, a similar force is at play. In 2015, that disruptive force comes in the form of organic search. Organic search accounts for 87% of all online searches, and today consumers are more informed than ever before. Right now, the average Google search query contains an average of seven words – more than double that of just a few years ago. This means that instead of searching for “dog food,” people are searching for “grain-free dog food for large senior dogs.”

These long tail search terms (three or more keyword phrases) are not only specific, but also very high intent. The more detailed the search, the more aware and intentioned a potential buyer tends to be.

With organic search, big businesses (like Ford, Apple, and Wells Fargo) rely almost entirely on branded terms to capture traffic. Most big businesses don’t rank for keyword phrases of more than two words. So what does this mean for the rest of us?

Highly specific, long tail keyword phrases are much easier to rank for than broader, one or two keyword phrases. Meaning there is a huge opportunity to win highly valuable search traffic without having to spend money hand over fist, competing against the big boys.

With a clearly defined target market and a disciplined approach to researching their search behavior, businesses can identify the most valuable long tail search terms. Great content that’s generated around the right long tail terms will fulfill a consumer’s need to obtain information and complete a purchase transaction.

What you’ve been hearing all along is, in fact, still true – content is king for your business.

(C) Three Ships Media

Reprinted with permission