Have you ever wondered what a longtail keyword is in SEO?
In this article, we’ll break down the basics of SEO and explain exactly what longtail keywords are, why they’re important, and how you can use them effectively in your SEO strategy.
By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of this crucial SEO concept.
Before diving into longtail keywords, let’s make sure we’re on the same page about SEO fundamentals.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is all about making your website more visible in search engine results pages (SERPs).
The goal is for your content to rank highly when people search for relevant keywords.
Some key aspects of SEO include:
When done right, SEO brings you free, targeted traffic from search engines. More visibility means more clicks, leads and customers.
Now let’s talk about longtail keywords.
Unlike short, generic keywords, longtail keywords are longer, more specific phrases.
A generic keyword might be something like “shoes” while a longtail version could be “comfortable running shoes for women.”
Because longtail keywords are so specific, they tend to have lower search volume than generic terms.
But here’s the key – they also usually have much less competition, so it’s easier to rank for them.
Plus, the traffic longtail keywords bring is usually highly targeted. Someone searching for “comfortable running shoes for women” is probably much closer to making a purchase than someone just searching for “shoes.”
Here are a few more characteristics of longtail keywords:
To further clarify, let’s directly compare longtail and short tail keywords:
| Short Tail | Long Tail |
|---|---|
| 1-2 words | 3+ words |
| Broad topic | Specific subtopic |
| High search volume | Lower search volume |
| Very competitive | Less competitive |
| More general traffic | Targeted, ready-to-convert traffic |
An example would be:
While the short tail keyword will get way more searches, the longtail keyword will bring traffic that’s much more likely to convert.
So why exactly should you care about longtail keywords in your SEO strategy?
Here are the key benefits:
Essentially, by targeting less competitive, highly specific longtail keywords, you can start to see SEO results and climb the rankings much faster than you could by only going after short tail keywords.
Longtail keywords let you gradually build up authority and rankings for more general terms over time.
Hopefully you’re convinced of the power of longtail keywords! Now let’s get into how you can actually find and use them.
Some great diy SEO software for longtail keyword research include:
These tools will help you uncover relevant longtail keywords and get data on search volume and keyword difficulty.
Aim for keywords with decent search volume but low to medium competition.
Once you have your longtail keywords, it’s time to use them! Some tips:
The key is using the keywords naturally and providing truly valuable, relevant content for that search query. Don’t force keywords where they don’t belong.
Let’s look at a couple real-world examples of longtail keywords in action:
Imagine you run a fitness site. You’re having trouble ranking for general terms like “weight loss.”
So you decide to target longtail keywords like “best diet for women over 50” and “HIIT workouts for quick weight loss.”
By creating highly targeted content optimized for these specific searches, you start to rank, bring in targeted traffic, and make more sales of your workout plans and courses.
Those initial longtail wins help you build authority to eventually rank for the bigger keywords.
Kitchen Cabinet Kings, an online cabinet retailer, saw a 20% boost in search engine traffic by expanding their site architecture to target more longtail searches.
Instead of just broad category pages like “kitchen cabinets,” they created extensive product descriptions optimized for searches like “dark cherry kitchen cabinets with glass doors.”
That ultra-specific approach brought in buyers searching for exactly what they offer.
By now, you should have a clear answer to “What is a longtail keyword in SEO?”
To recap, longtail keywords are longer, more specific keyword phrases that have less search volume but also less competition than generic short tail keywords.
Longtail keywords are crucial for bringing in targeted traffic, optimizing for voice search, and getting quicker SEO wins while building toward broader keyword rankings.
The key takeaway is not to ignore longtail keywords in your SEO strategy.
Use keyword research tools to uncover relevant longtail keywords, create valuable content optimized for those terms, and watch your search engine traffic and rankings start to climb.
With a solid longtail keyword strategy, you can outrank bigger competitors and connect with your ideal customers right when they’re searching for what you offer.
