Long-tail Keywords: How-To, Strategies, Tips & More

How do your website visitors find you? 

If they’re not heading directly to your site and are reaching it through an organic search result instead, they’re probably finding you through long-tail keywords. 

This is because it’s notoriously difficult to rank in the SERP. That’s especially true if you’re targeting keywords with a high volume and high difficulty.

If you aren’t ranking for long-tail keywords, that’s a missed opportunity.

By consistently publishing in-depth content targeting long-tail keywords, you’ll see an increase in search traffic, attract paying customers, and grow your brand strategy.

But what are long-tail keywords, anyway? And how should you use them to create content that ranks and converts? Here’s what you need to know.

Key Takeaways

• Long-tail keywords are crucial for driving organic traffic, improving search rankings, and capturing niche audiences.
• Long-tail keywords, while having lower search volumes, tend to have higher conversion rates due to their specificity and alignment with user intent.
• Incorporating long-tail keywords into your content strategy can save on paid advertising costs and provide more valuable, sustainable organic traffic.
• Utilize tools like Ubersuggest and AnswerThePublic, along with Google Autocomplete, People Also Ask, and related search terms, to find effective long-tail keywords.
• Ensure your content matches user search intent by understanding the four main types: navigational, informational, commercial, and transactional.

What Are Long-Tail Keywords?

Long-tail keywords are long, specific queries that let search engines know not just what words searchers want to know about, but why they want to know them as well.

For example:

• “Neil Patel” is a keyword.
• “What does Neil Patel know about digital marketing?” is a long-tail keyword example.

Long-tail keywords aren’t named “long-tail” because they include more characters than shorter, one- or two-word keywords.

They’re named that way because of how they look on the search marketing curve, AKA “search curve” for short.

The search curve consists of:

• The Fat Head: A small number of extremely popular (and hard-to-rank-for) queries. Think of general terms like “Chevy Equinox.”
• The Chunky Middle: These are still difficult to rank for because they are widely searched. Think terms that still get millions of queries, like “Chevy Equinox LT.”
• The Long Tail: This is the sweet spot for organic search marketers, made up of search queries with a small amount of monthly search volume, like “ 2024 Chevy Equinox colors.”

When you run your keyword research, it’s easy to gravitate toward the short tail or head keywords. 

But where there’s high search volume, there’s also high competition. Long-tail keywords with slightly less volume tend to be a lot easier to rank for.

In addition to improving your website’s visibility in search results, long-tail keywords can also provide valuable insights into your target audience’s search behavior and preferences.

By analyzing the specific long-tail keywords that people use to find your website or content, you can gain a better understanding of their needs, interests, and pain points. You can then use this information to tailor your content and marketing strategies to better resonate with your audience and drive more engagement.

Long-Tail Keyword Examples

Let’s say you’re looking for a new swimsuit. 

The keyword “swimsuit” has a difficulty rating of 68 in SEMRush and a volume of 110,000, making it very hard to rank for. This would make it a “head” keyword, or a keyword in “The Fat Head” part of the search curve.

Two-piece swimsuits, meanwhile, is a little bit easier to rank for, placing it squarely in the category of “The Chunky Middle.”

“Black two piece swimsuit,” on the other hand, is a much easier keyword to rank for. With a search volume of 720 and a 5% keyword difficulty rating, this qualifies as a long-tail keyword!

Why Should You Use Long-Tail Keywords in Your Content?

What do you want from your content marketing?

The first thing is probably traffic. After that, you want conversions. Long-tail keywords can bring you both.

Paid advertising is a great way to get your brand in front of your target audience, but there’s a catch. You’re paying for every click. If you gradually replace those paid clicks with organic traffic, not only do you save money, but you could see better results.

In fact, Google’s Economic Impact Report states organic search is five times more valuable than paid search.

What’s more, when it comes to comparing long-tail vs. head keywords:

• Keywords that are 10-15 words in length tend to get 2.18x the amount of clicks than keywords that are 1-2 words in length.
• 77.91% of organic conversions come from keywords that are 3+ words.
• On average, 82.53% of a website’s organic traffic comes from search terms that are 3+ words.
• Your rankings for 1-2 word search phrases are 18.26% more likely to shift up or down in search rankings than long-tail keywords.

Search Intent & Long-Tail Keywords

Matching searcher intent with the type of content you provide readers is especially important. Why? Because Google determines how helpful content is based on the degree to which it answers a user’s query. And when you deliver more valuable content, you stand to maximize conversions.

There are 4 main types of search intent:

• Navigational intent: Users are searching for a particular page, such as a login page (e.g., “Ubersuggest login”).
• Informational intent: Users want to learn more about a specific topic (e.g., “what is search intent”).
• Commercial intent: Users are conducting research before making a purchase decision (e.g., “best keyword research tool”).
• Transactional intent: Users aim to complete an action, typically involving a purchase (e.g., “sign up for Ubersuggest plan”).

Compare the two searches:

“Ubersuggest tool” vs. “Sign up for Ubersuggest”

Which search indicates a searcher who is more ready to convert? Clearly, the second.

Long-tail keywords often signal search intent. In other words, they may suggest a searcher is well on the road to conversion, and that alone is a pretty good reason to use them in your content.

Myths About Long-Tail Keywords

By now, the value long-tail keywords hold to search marketers is hopefully getting clearer. However, there are still some long-tail keyword myths that you should ignore:

• Myth 1: Target only long-tail keywords. Over-optimizing for either short-tail or long-tail keywords can lead to Google penalties. Instead, use keywords based on user intent to help your readers.
• Myth 2: Always use exact long-tail keywords in headlines. While targeting key terms can be beneficial, forcing them can result in keyword stuffing. Ensure keywords flow naturally in headlines to avoid penalties.
• Myth 3: Long-tail key phrases are less expensive. Many long-tail phrases can be costly in PPC advertising due to their perceived value and demand.
• Myth 4: Ranking is all that matters. Focusing solely on rankings isn’t enough; your headlines must inspire clicks. A great headline catches attention and encourages users to engage with your content.

The Bottom Line: SEO is a long-term strategy. Consistently producing helpful content for users will lead to better results over time.

How to Use Long-Tail Keywords in Your Content

1. Start With Your Buyer Personas

To match user intent, understand your target audience (your buyer personas). Buyer personas are fictional representations of your ideal customers based on real data. Creating these personas helps you understand their needs and preferences, allowing you to tailor your long-tail keyword strategy effectively.

Put yourself in their shoes to determine their questions, information needs, and search habits. Use surveys, interviews, and focus groups for deeper insights. This understanding helps you choose relevant long-tail keywords, which may have lower search volumes but higher conversion rates.

Below is an example buyer’s persona.

2. Find Long-Tail Keywords

You have to be picky about your long-tail keywords.

Longer variations of your keywords may have lower search volumes than head keywords, but their conversion rates are usually very high.

Follow these steps to find long-tail keywords:

1. Go to Ubersuggest, enter your main keyword, and click “Search.”

2. Click “Keyword Ideas” in the left sidebar.

3. Identify long-tail keywords with four or more words.

4. Filter for high volume, low SEO difficulty keywords.

For this industry, which is highly competitive, I set the SEO difficulty to no greater than 40 while keeping the search volume in the 2,000 to 7,000 range. Here’s what you get:

5. Click a keyword to get detailed data.

This data helps you decide if a keyword is worth targeting based on traffic and ranking potential.

3. Consider Search Intent

Effective SEO requires caring about your users and solving their problems. This is why smart long-tail keyword use helps you with search engine results.

Remember, search engines prioritize user experience. Understanding user intent is crucial for effective long-tail keyword use. Your goal should be to provide high-quality content that matches user intent, not just to rank.

Focus on solving user problems and providing valuable information. 

To maximize your use of keywords, focus on two to three low-volume keywords.

When integrating them into your piece, don’t stuff them into your content.

4. Write Your Content

If your blog post or web page provides valuable information that matches the user’s search intent, they’re more likely to spend time on your site, read your content, and share it with others. 

This can send positive signals to search engines that your content is high quality and relevant, which can further boost your rankings for long-tail keywords.

Here is a list of the ingredients of great content writing you need to implement in your next blog post, product description, or other optimized webpage:

1. Compelling Headline: Your headline should be specific and intriguing to draw readers in, as most people will only read the headline.
2. Interesting Intro: The introduction should grab readers’ attention immediately, keeping them engaged to read further.
3. Audience Focus: Write with your specific audience in mind, tailoring content to their needs and preferences.
4. Narrow Focus: Each article should have a clear, focused topic to provide valuable, relevant information.
5. Engaging Content: Use language and styles that resonate with your audience to maintain their interest and engagement.
6. Unique Brand Voice: Maintain a consistent brand voice that reflects your company’s personality and values.
7. Valuable Knowledge: Provide information that addresses readers’ needs and questions, ensuring they find your content useful.
8. Structured Outline: Create a well-organized outline to ensure your article is coherent and easy to follow.
9. Actionable Tips: Offer specific, practical advice that readers can apply to their own situations.
10. Trust Factors: Build credibility by linking to authoritative sources and getting backlinks from reputable sites.

Where to Use Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are appropriate for most types of organic content, including:

• Blog posts
• Product descriptions and web copy
• FAQs
• Case studies
• Tutorials and how-to guides

They may be less well-suited for:

• Homepages
• Brand pages
• Landing pages
• Shorter-form content and general content

Remember to Write Naturally

We’ve discussed how to use long tail keywords on a general level, but remember that SEO content writing is still writing.

That means it should be clear, engaging, and easy to understand for the intended target audience/buyer persona.

It’s common for those new to content writing to be unsure of how to use long tail keywords. It’s common to try very hard to “get the right keywords in” and put them in the right places. I recommend against this approach.

It’s better to outline your content prior to writing in a way that is intuitive and flows well. Then, start incorporating keywords into your headers.

Finally, write your body paragraphs. You may find that you naturally think of spots in your piece where it makes sense to add a given keyword. Or, you might try writing the whole piece first, then finding spots where those keywords naturally incorporate. Often, this looks like swapping synonyms of the keyword out for the actual keyword itself, or a semantic variation of it.

Tools for Long-Tail Keyword Research

When it comes to finding long-tail keywords, tools like Ubersuggest are invaluable. As mentioned earlier, Ubersuggest allows you to enter your main keyword and generate a list of long-tail variations, along with important metrics like search volume and SEO difficulty.

Another powerful tool is AnswerThePublic. This tool visualizes search questions and autocomplete searches in an easy-to-digest format. It’s excellent for uncovering the questions your audience is asking and the topics they’re interested in. By providing a comprehensive list of queries related to your keyword, AnswerThePublic helps you understand user intent and identify long-tail keywords that address specific audience needs.

In addition to these tools, several other resources can help you discover long-tail keywords:

• Google Autocomplete: Start typing a keyword in Google’s search bar, and it will suggest various completions based on popular searches.
• People Also Ask: Found on Google search results pages, this section provides related questions that users commonly search for.

Related Search Terms: At the bottom of Google search results pages, you’ll find related search terms that can provide ideas for long-tail keywords.

Google Trends: This tool helps you see the popularity of search terms over time, which can be useful for identifying trending long-tail keywords.

FAQs

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Long-tail keywords are important for SEO because they are less competitive than broader keywords, making it easier to rank for them. They also attract more qualified traffic to your website as they are more targeted, which can increase the chances of conversions.

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To incorporate long-tail keywords into your content, start by identifying relevant keywords and then creating high-quality content that addresses those topics. Use the keywords naturally in your headings, subheadings, and throughout your content without overstuffing or sacrificing the quality of your writing.

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Yes, you can use long-tail keywords in your PPC campaigns. In fact, using long-tail keywords in your PPC campaigns can help improve their effectiveness. These keywords attract more qualified traffic and have less competition.

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Track your long-tail keyword performance using tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics. Monitor keyword rankings, organic traffic, click-through rates, conversion rates, bounce rates, and time on page. If applicable, track revenue and ROI. Use keyword tracking tools for additional insights, compare your performance with competitors, set SMART goals, and regularly analyze and iterate your strategy based on the data.

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Conclusion

Search engines want to see you provide users with the best possible experience. To do this, you’ve got to understand your target audience and how they search.

Long-tail keyword research should be a big part of your content marketing strategy. Successfully incorporating these keywords into your content will enable you to match user intent and give your visitors a great experience.

When you boost your traffic and engage users better by matching the language they use to search, it can bring significant results for your website.

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