What are Long-tail keywords & How to use them for SEO?

Long tail keywords are specialized search queries that typically have three words or more. They are often used by search engine users who are looking for very specific information or products, and are typically less competitive than shorter, more generic keywords.

So why do long tail keywords have a huge effect on SEO? In this article, let’s figure out what long-tail keywords are, why they’re important for SEO, and how you can use them to improve your search engine rankings.

What are Long-tail keywords?

Long-tail keywords are highly specific search phrases that are composed of multiple words or phrases and are designed to target a very niche audience. Moreover, long keywords are less frequently searched for than common keywords, which are broader and more competitive. Yet, because they are so targeted, long keywords are also more likely to result in leads and sales.

The definition of Long-tail keywords

To illustrate, a general keyword like “cars” is very broad, but a long-tail keyword like “best hybrid cars for commuting in California” is much more specific and targeted, making it easier to rank for and attract highly relevant traffic to a website. 

Two types of Long-tail keywords

Two types of long tail keywords refer to the two main categories of specific keyword phrases that are longer and more specific than typical keywords. There are two main types of long-tail keywords: supporting and topical long-tail keywords.

Supporting Long-tail keywords

Supporting long-tail keywords are specific phrases that relate to the broader topic of a search rather than a specific product or service. These keywords are longer and more specific than general keywords, but less specific than topical long-tail keywords.

Supporting long-tail keywords is crucial because they enable search engines to comprehend the context of the user’s query and deliver more relevant results.

Take a quick look at this example of the keyword “digital marketing trends” only getting 70 searches per month:

The amount of “Long-tail keywords” search volume

While a “digital marketing” keyword may have more searches, a supporting long-tail keyword could be “digital marketing trends,” which can provide context to aid in the understanding of the user’s request by search engines.

In fact, Google has stated that around 15% of the queries it receives every day are completely new and have never been seen before, indicating that long-tail and niche searches are becoming more common.

Searchers may use long-tail and supporting, long-tail keywords to find more specific and targeted results that are relevant to their needs. This can be particularly useful for niche topics or for finding information on specific products or services.

Topical Long-tail keywords

Another long-tail keyword SEO for supporting organic traffic is topical long-tail keywords. Topical long-tail keywords are specific phrases or queries that are used by internet users to search for information on a particular topic. Long-tail keywords are more precise and frequently have three or more words, in contrast to short-tail keywords, which are more general. 

For instance, “shoes” is a short-tail keyword, whereas “women’s running shoes for flat feet” is a long-tail term.

Examples in topical long-tail keywords

To make the distinction, let’s say you own a shoe store, and you want to attract potential customers who are interested in buying running shoes for women with flat feet. Using the long-tail keyword in your content, such as in a blog post or product description, can help you reach a more specific audience that is more likely to be interested in what you have to offer.

You may boost your SEO efforts and drive more relevant visitors to your website by choosing topical long-tail keywords. You may improve the relevance of your website to search engines and add value for your audience by providing content that is optimized for particular queries.

How do Long tail keywords work?

Up until now, you’ve already known what exactly long-tail keywords are. But do you know how they actually work? Let’s find out!

Using long-tail keywords for targeting

Let’s imagine you have a company that sells running shoes and customers may be looking for any type of trainers, there is likely too much competition for your pages to ever show up near the top of an organic search for “trainers”. 

Especially, if you are a start-up or small business, the opportunity to get high rankings is even harder to find. However, if you change to “best trail trainers for women”, it’s more beneficial for your business. Buyers are likely looking for a specific type of running shoe, and are more likely to click on a website that offers that specific product.

Examples of Long tail keywords Marketing or SEO

Use this example to see the distinction between short-tail and long-tail keywords.

The following are short-tail keywords:

• Running shoes
• Makeup brands
• Children’s books
• Meal prep ideas
• Outdoor furniture

These terms are more general, more competitive, and harder to rank for in search engines. They typically have higher search volume but lower conversion rates. They can target to a particular niche or audience. 

Now let’s take a quick look at long-tail keywords examples to figure out the differences and purposes:

• Best running shoes for flat feet
• Affordable vegan makeup brands for sensitive skin
• Top-rated children’s books for 2-years-olds
• Healthy meal prep ideas for vegetarian athletes
• Best budget-outdoor furniture for small balconies

The importance of using Long-tail keywords in SEO

Long-tail keyword concentration is a fantastic SEO strategy. Long-tail keywords are more precise and receive less search traffic, but they typically convert more effectively. It allows you to get higher rankings and reach targeted audiences easily, while requiring less expensive PPC advertising. 

The benefits of using long-tail keywords

Easier to rank

Considering that they are simpler to rank for than broad keywords, long tail keywords are crucial for SEO. Small businesses find it challenging to rank for broad keywords due to the high level of competition that they frequently face. 

On the other side, there is less competition for long-tail keywords, making it simpler for small firms to rank for them. You may increase the amount of traffic to your website and raise your search engine rankings by incorporating long-tail keywords into your content.   

Targeted traffic

Furthermore, long-tail keywords help you reach targeted traffic by providing more specific information about what you offer. When people search for specific products or services, they use long-tail keywords to find what they need.

For example, let’s say you are a small business selling handmade soap. If you target the keyword “soap,” you are competing with countless other websites and pages that also target that keyword. 

However, if you target a long-tail keyword such as “handmade lavender soap,” you are targeting a much more specific audience and drawing their interactions to your website.

The key to reaching potential target

By using long-tail keywords in your content, you can attract people who are specifically looking for what you offer. This means that you are more likely to attract visitors who are interested in your products or services, which can lead to higher conversion rates. 

Less expensive PPC Advertising

Finally, using long-tail keywords in your PPC advertising campaigns can save you money. Long-tail keywords have less competition, which means that they are less expensive to bid on.

This means that you can get more clicks for less money. Long-tail keywords also tend to have higher click-through rates (CTR) than general keywords.

Helping optimize the budget for organizations

It indicates that you have a greater chance of receiving clicks from users who are interested in your goods or services. You may both reach your target audience and reduce your advertising costs by incorporating long-tail keywords into your PPC advertising campaigns.

How do find Long-tail keywords?

When it comes to SEO and content marketing, finding the right long-tail keywords can be critical to driving traffic and engaging your audience. Fortunately, there are several tools and techniques you can use to identify the best long-tail keywords for your content. 

Finding long-tail keywords with various tools

Google Autocomplete

One of the most popular methods is using Google Autocomplete. As you start typing a search query into Google, the search engine will offer suggestions for the rest of the phrase based on what other users have searched for. This can help you see what questions or topics people are interested in, and guide you towards relevant long-tail keywords.

Google autocomplete recommends the other keywords that have been searched

Google People Also Ask (PPA)

Another useful tool is Google People Also Ask (PPA). When you search for a particular topic, Google will often display a box with related questions that people frequently ask. This can provide you with additional ideas for long tail keywords and help you create content that addresses the questions your audience is asking.

Google’s Related Searches

Long-tail keywords can also be discovered using Google’s Related Searches tool. There is frequently a list of related searches at the bottom of the search results pages, which can help you learn more about subjects and phrases connected to your original search.   

Google Keyword Planner

For more in-depth keyword analysis, you can use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Semrush Keyword Magic. These tools provide data on the search volume, competition, and relevance of different keywords, allowing you to choose the most effective long-tail keywords for your content.

SEMrush Keyword Magic

To find long tail keywords using SEMrush Keyword Magic, start by entering a broad keyword related to your niche. It will show you a list of highly specific and targeted phrases, or parent keywords, that are more likely to attract quality traffic to your website.

The diversity features in SEMrush allow to find long-tail keywords

Meanwhile, Keyword Gap lets you compare your keyword strategy with that of your competitors. By identifying and targeting long tail keywords through SEMrush Keyword Gap, you can improve your search engine rankings and attract more qualified traffic to your website.

Use Unique Selling Proposition (USP)

Another way to find long-tail keywords SEO is about focusing on your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Think about what makes your business or product unique and use that to identify specific keywords that your audience might be searching for.

Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer

Besides, Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer is a great tool to find new long-tail keywords. It allows you to enter a keyword and see a list of related terms, along with data on search volume, keyword difficulty, and more.

Ahrefs aids to find long-tail keywords

To find long tail keywords using Ahrefs, start by entering your main keyword into the keyword explorer tool. From there, scroll down to the “Phrase match” report, which will show you a list of related keyword phrases.

Next, filter the results by selecting “having same terms” and “3 words or more” to narrow down the list to long tail keywords. You can also use other filters, such as search volume and keyword difficulty, to refine your search.

Once you’ve identified some potential long tail keywords, use Ahrefs’ “Keyword Difficulty” tool to assess their competitiveness and determine if they’re worth targeting. Remember to focus on keywords that are relevant to your content and have a decent search volume, but aren’t overly competitive.

The keywords of competitors

Finding the right long-tail keywords marketing can be challenging, but one effective way to identify them is by researching the keywords of competitors.

The first step is to identify the competitors in your industry. Conduct a search using relevant keywords, and then analyze the top-performing websites to understand the phrases they are targeting. 

Finding long-tail keywords through the competitors

Next, examine the long-tail keywords used by your competitors. Look for phrases that have a lower search volume but a higher potential for conversions. Focus on phrases that are unique to your niche and have a specific intent, such as product names or industry-specific terms.

Browse Reddit, Quora & niche forums

Finally, browsing Reddit, Quora, and niche forums can be a great way to identify long-tail keywords and topics that your audience is interested in. Look for threads and discussions related to your industry or niche, and see what questions people are asking or what topics they are discussing.

By using a combination of these tools and techniques, you can identify the most effective long keywords for your content and improve your SEO and content marketing efforts.

How do use Long-tail keywords effectively?

So, what are the reasons for SEO practitioners to choose long keywords? The answer is that they are simple to optimize for content, even though they are more specialized and less competitive than the main keyword.

Use naturally

The first step of using long keywords effectively is to use them naturally within your content. While it’s important to include your target keywords in your content, you don’t want to stuff them in unnaturally or force them into places where they don’t belong. This can make your content feel spammy and turn off potential readers.

Efficient use of long-tail keywords in natural way

Instead, focus on using long keywords in a way that feels natural and flows with the rest of your content. Use them in your headlines, subheadings, and throughout your text where it makes sense. Don’t overuse them or cram them in where they don’t fit just to try ranking for a specific keyword.

Place strategically

In addition to using long-tail keywords naturally, it’s also important to place them strategically within your content. You want to make sure that your target keywords are in the places where search engines are most likely to look for them.

For instance, including your long-tail keyword in your page’s meta title, meta description, and URL can help signal to search engines what your content is about. You should also aim to include your target keyword in the first paragraph of your content and in at least one subheading.

Research users’ search intent

Finally, to use these keywords effectively, you need to understand your target audience and their search intent. When users search for specific long keywords, they are often looking for very specific information or solutions to their problems.

Paying attention to the search intent

By understanding your users’ search intent, you can tailor your content to better meet their needs and answer their questions. This can help you attract more targeted traffic to your site and increase engagement with your content.

To research users’ search intent, start by brainstorming the types of questions and topics.

Read more: Incorporate long-tail keywords into your keyword strategy in order to enhance your SEO campaign.

Final Thoughts

To sum up, long-tail keywords are words or phrases used in searching that are longer and more precise than the typical search query. They can assist companies in attracting high-quality visitors to their websites and optimizing their content for search engines.

With the tools and methods to use long keywords we’ve shared in this article; we hope that it helps you gain more knowledge as well as develop your web pages.

On Digitals can assist you in improving every aspect of digital marketing, helping you expand your online presence, and producing remarkable results with the help of high-quality SEO services.