Long-Tail Keywords: What They Are And How To Use Them

Are you struggling to get your website noticed in a sea of competition?

Long-tail keywords might be the solution you need.

These specific, less competitive keyword phrases can attract highly targeted traffic to your site.

By focusing on long-tail keywords, you can reach users who are closer to making a purchase. They help you stand out in search results and improve your SEO rankings.

In this article, we’ll explore everything, including:

• What long-tail keywords are?
• Difference between long-tail vs short-tail keywords
• Why are they important?
• Long-tail keywords examples
• How to find long-tail keywords
• How to use long-tail terms for SEO
• And more

Let’s get started!

What Are Long-Tail Keywords?

Long-tail keywords are search queries that get a small number of monthly searches. They tend to be longer and more specific than their “head” counterparts and often have a higher conversion rate.

For example, according to Semrush Keyword Overview, the keyword “running shoes” is a “head” keyword because it gets 201k monthly searches. The keyword “best running shoes for kids” is a long-tail keyword because it only gets 880 monthly searches.

Long Tail vs Short-Tail Keywords: What’s the Difference?

As we see above, long-tail keywords are highly specific search phrases that attract niche audiences. Short-tail keywords, on the other hand, are broader and more general, aiming to reach a wider audience.

The terms “short-tail” and “long-tail” refer to their respective positions on the “search demand” curve.

If we put together all Google searches throughout a month by search volume, the resultant graph reveals long-tail terms in the “long tail” of the curve due to their lower popularity.

Short-tail terms, meanwhile, occupy the “head” of the curve due to their higher search volume.

Below is a Semrush illustration for monthly keyword searches in Google:

Source: Semrush

Long-tail keywords, like “remote content marketing jobs,” target niche audiences and often have higher conversion rates due to their specificity. They attract users who know exactly what they’re searching for.

In contrast, short-tail keywords like “jobs” appeal to a broader audience and generate higher search volumes. However, they face higher competition and usually have lower conversion rates.

Long-Tail Keyword Examples

Let’s take a quick look at some terms that aren’t long-tail keywords.

Here are some broad “head terms” that aren’t long-tail keywords:

• SEO
• Blog
• WordPress theme

See how these terms are less specific and short? Long-tail phrases are often longer and more specific.

The non-long-tail terms listed above also have relatively high search volumes, as per Semrush’s Keyword Overview tool.

So, they are not long-tail keywords.

Here are some examples of keywords that are long-tail keywords:

• Best SEO tools for small businesses
• Blog SEO optimization tips
• Good free WordPress themes for blogs

See how these keywords are both long and specific. Those are common characteristics of long-tail keywords.

In addition, they have low search volumes, as seen in the image below.

Why Are Long-Tail Keywords Important?

Here are several key reasons why long-tail keywords are important:

Easy to Rank

Popular broad terms are typically very competitive. That means it may take years to rank for that term using SEO.

For example, if you analyze the keyword “SEO” in Semrush’s Keyword Overview tool, it tells you how difficult ranking for that keyword will be.

The tool uses the Keyword Difficulty (KD) metric to report a keyword’s ranking difficulty.

“WordPress theme” has a KD of 92%.

So, it takes a lot of work to rank for this term.

But the long-tail keyword “good free WordPress theme for blogs” has a keyword difficulty of 40%.

So, this long-tail keyword is relatively easier to rank for than a related head term.

Targeted Traffic

Since long-tail keywords are very specific, the average user who searches for them on Google is probably on the verge of completing a purchase. Alternatively, converting.

For example, consider the keyword “best seo tools for small businesses“:

Someone searching for that phrase is almost ready to make a purchase decision. So, if you’re in the SEO software business and rank high for this phrase, searchers could just buy from you.

On the other hand, a term like “SEO” is quite broad:

This searcher is most likely conducting preliminary SEO research in general. They might be months away from searching for tools to aid with their SEO strategy.

So, even if you rank for this keyword, it’s unlikely to result in many conversions.

Easy to Target

As long-tail keywords are so specific, they’re typically easier to target with site pages.

Take the search term “how to bake a cake”.

If you look at at the top ranking sites for this term on Google, they are all blog post that teach you how to bake a cake.

So, if you want to target this term, it’s clear that you’ll need to write a blog post. In addition, the blog article must teach readers how to bake a cake.

On the flip side, a non-long-tail keyword like “baking pans” is super broad.

If you look at the top-ranking pages for this term, you’ll see that both ecommerce category pages and informative blog posts rank.

Based on the search results, it’s unclear whether you should target this phrase with a blog article on best baking pans or an ecommerce category page listing all of the baking pans you offer.

Less Expensive PPC

Long-tail keywords might also help you get more bang for your buck when it comes to Google Ads.

Why? In general, high-volume keywords have a higher cost per click (CPC).

Plus, as previously said, these broad keywords do not convert particularly well.

However, low-volume long-tail keywords are highly targeted. As a result, they have a higher conversion rate.

They may also have a cheaper cost per click. This is a PPC win-win!

However, their is one downside of using long-tail keywords? You’ll need multiple of them to match the quantity of traffic you get from a single head keyword.

More Choice

The majority of Google search queries contain long-tail terms.

When customers search for information or products online, they tend to use longer, more descriptive terms that represent their unique requirements or interests.

For example, instead of searching for “running shoes,” someone might search for “comfortable running shoes for kids.”

Or “lightweight running shoes for marathon training”.

Or “waterproof running shoes for trail running”.

And a thousand other long-tail variations that reflect their specific needs.

So you’ll likely never run out of long-tail keyword ideas to target with your site.

How to Find Long-Tail Keywords

There are many different ways to find long-tail keywords. Here, we’ll explore 7 of them.

1. Use Google Autocomplete

One of the simplest ways to find long-tail keywords is to use Google Autocomplete.

When you start typing a search query into Google, the Autocomplete feature will suggest related searches based on what you’re typing. These suggestions can give you ideas for long-tail keywords to target.

For example, let’s say you’re looking for long-tail keywords related to content marketing. You may type “best content marketing t” into the search bar to get the following list of suggestions:

Note: Autocomplete recommendations do not always include long-tail keywords. Often, they are highly competitive phrases that do not exactly match the definition of “long-tail.”

So, always analyze these keywords in keyword research tools to check whether they’re long-tail keywords or not.

2. Google’s People Also Ask (PAA) Box

This is another simple method for finding question keywords.

First, use Google to search for a keyword.

Then, look for a “People also ask” box in the SERPs.

These are questions related to the keyword you typed in.

And if you expand one of the questions, you’ll see an answer plus, Google will also show you even MORE questions.

3. Google “Related Searches”

Google gives a list of eight keywords at the bottom of the first page of search results.

Typically, these are long-tail keywords that are closely related to the keyword you just searched for.

For example, below are some of the long-tail keywords that Google suggests for “content marketing.”

4. Semrush Keyword Magic Tool

Semrush is one of the best SEO tools available that help you in keyword research, site audit, backlink analysis, and on-page SEO recommendations. Read our complete Semrush review.

Its Keyword Magic Tool helps you generate thousands of keywords in seconds.

Just type a broad “seed keyword” into the tool:

And it will soon find several long-tail variations of that keyword:

5. AnswerThePublic

AnswerThePublic is a useful keyword research tool that generates question-focused keywords.

To use it, type a broad keyword in the search field and click Search:

The tool will then show questions that people commonly ask about your topic:

And because question keywords are often lengthy, they are almost always long-tail terms.

You may even sort the data alphabetically.

6. Google Keyword Planner

Google Keyword Planner is a free tool that allows you to research keywords and see how often they are searched for. You can use this tool to identify long-tail keywords that are relevant to your niche.

7. Forums

Forums like Quora or Reddit a great places to get content ideas. But it can also be used to find long-tail keywords.

For example, we found a handful of solid topics by typing “content marketing” into Quora:

How to Use Long-Tail Keywords For SEO

Finding long-tail keywords is only half the battle.

To rank high and get better results, you need to use them correctly on your page. This on-page SEO guide explains how to use keywords correctly.

But as a quick overview, here are a few on-page SEO tips for long-tail keywords:

Consider the User’s Search Intent

Simply adding your keyword to your blog isn’t enough. Your blog content must meet the user’s search intent to rank high in Google.

Search intent means offering users what they want.

For example, if they’re looking for “blogging tips,” you can write a blog article listing several suggestions that could be helpful.

Any long-tail phrase you plan to target with your content can fall into one of these four types of search intent:

• Informational Intent: Users are looking for information or answers to questions (e.g., “How to choose the right running shoes”)
• Navigational Intent: Users want to find a specific website or page (e.g., “Nike running shoes official website”)
• Commercial Intent: Users are ready to make a purchase or complete an action (e.g., “Buy waterproof running shoes online”)
• Transactional Intent: Users are researching products before making a purchase decision (e.g., “Best running shoes for a marathon”)

To research search intent, you can use an SEO tool like Semrush. Semrush search intent feature makes it easy to find a keyword search intent.

That way, you can create content that gives your readers exactly what they’re looking for.

Use Your Keywords Strategically

If possible, include your long-tail keywords in the page title and header tags. Use it in your first paragraph, ideally in the first sentence. A few times between the content and, lastly, in the conclusion paragraph.

Just make sure you’re not imposing your keyword on your page. Always put readability and usability first.

Create Topic Clusters

Topic clusters are an excellent method to structure your content for both search engines and people.

Once your sites have been optimized for long-tail keywords, create topic clusters by linking from long-tail keywords to head terms (pillar pages).

Just make sure they are all topically similar.

By structuring your content into topic clusters, you can help readers quickly and simply find the information they want.

This can result in higher search engine rankings, greater engagement, and more time spent on the website.

Conclusion

Keyword research is the cornerstone of any effective SEO work. And, long-tail keywords are ideal for new sites (or those with low authority).

If you’ve been struggling to rank for your target keywords, it’s possible that they’re too competitive. And it could be time to shift your focus toward long-tail keywords.

For more, check out these other helpful resources:

• 14 Best Free Keyword Research Tools
• KWFinder Review: Is It The Best Keyword Research Tool?
• 10 Cheap SEO Tools for Small Businesses on a Budget

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