Long Tail Keywords: What They Are & How To Use Them

Long tail keywords are longer keywords or phrases that visitors on a search page are more likely to use when looking for a particular query. These keywords are more specific phrases that not only tell Google what words users are searching for but also let them know the reason behind the search.

If you are getting a good number of organic reaches on your website, then it is probably because of the long tail keywords, letting users find you through a relevant query on the search page. Here, in this article, we will know more about long tail keywords and their importance in SEO.

Table of Contents

What Are Long Tail Keywords?

Long tail keywords in SEO are a type of keyword with a long number of words or phrases compared to a normal keyword. They are generally high-precision queries that people use when they are searching for something specific on Google search pages. Most long tail keywords contain low volume and relatively lower competition in search results.

They are more specific and hence have higher chances of ranking and conversion rates. For example, check the following example to understand what exactly long tail keywords are.

“PW Skills” is a simple keyword.
“Why Choose PW Skills Learning Program for Digital Marketing? This is a long tail keyword.

Long tail keywords: Search Demand Curve [Ahrefs] — The Search Demand Curve [Ahrefs]

1. The Fat Head

These are popular in-demand search queries which is very short and contain keywords of generally 1-2 words. Their search volume is very high and is very tough to rank due to insane competition. The conversion rate is very low for these keywords, as they are not very specific.

2. The Chunky Middle

This segment of keywords is more specific than the fat head terms but not very long. They lie in the middle with around 2-3 words. The search volume for these keywords is generally moderate and not as high as the head keywords. But they are comparatively easier to rank than the fat head keywords.

3. The Long Tail

These are more specific and conversion-oriented keywords with 3+ words, sometimes even full phrases in a sentence. The search volume, however, is less compared to the other two segments. Also, the competition for these keywords is low. The conversion rate for long tail keywords is high, as they are more specific to the intent covered on the webpage.

Why Use Long Tail Keywords In Content?

There are many benefits of a long tail keyword for your site or content you are targeting for ranking on Google search results.

1. Long Tail Keywords Are Less Competitive

When compared to simple keywords long tail keywords are generally less competitive when compared to other head keywords. This can be useful when there are lots of keywords with high volume but with very high competition, i,e. Keyword Difficulty (KD) score, which makes it difficult for your content to rank.

Using long tail keywords with a low Keyword Difficulty (KD) score can be easier to rank in the top 10 results and get some very specific users from these keywords.

2. Long Tail Keywords Can Capture Niche Audience

As these keywords are generally very specific, they serve the specific needs i,e. Location, budget, style and problem, of a specific group of people. When you create content around this niche you get loyal and trusted customers.

Suppose there is a primary keyword, i.e., “T-shirts”, and targeting this keyword will force you to compete with top brands like Zara, H&M, Amazon, etc. While, when you use long tail versions of these keywords, such as “Eco-friendly cotton T-Shirts with traditional Indian Designs”. If you provide these traditional designs, you will get a filtered set of users matching their specific needs.

3. Higher Conversion Rates Than Normal

Long tail keywords are very much closer to people who are about to make a decision about a product or service. Now, when they search these specific queries and find your webpage, the chances of conversion are higher, which makes this long-tail traffic more valuable.

For example, when someone is searching for a “laptop”, they are just browsing and exploring options available. While a person who is searching for “Dell XPS 15 Laptop with 64 GB RAM price” is a filtered set of users who are very close to making a purchase.

4. Voice and AI Search Friendly

Long tail keywords generally are the first to be displayed as results when using voice assistants for search, such as Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa, and more. Also, AI search tools generally display content targeted through long tail keywords when users are speaking full questions.

For example, suppose you asked Google Assistant, “What are the best affordable Offline Digital Marketing Courses available near me? Then you can rank these natural language queries, as they are long tail by default.

5. Visibility In AI Responses

Long tail keywords are helpful in increasing your visibility in AI generated response because these keywords are generally conversational and hence, if you use them properly, it is more likely to align with the user’s search intent.

Also, Google AI uses query divisions in multiple sub-queries to collect various information on the search query. Hence, targeting long tail keyword can increase your chance of matching one of these AI responses using these sub queries.

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3 Ways to Find Long Tail Keywords

Check these three easy and efficient methods you can use to find long tail keywords easily.

1. Use Google Autosuggest

Long tail keywords: Autosuggestion

A simple and easy way to find long tail keywords is through Google Autosuggest. When you make a search in the Google search bar with a target keyword, you will get a lot of relevant suggestions in the dropdown options.

These are popular search queries which people are already using to make searches; hence, these queries consist of good search volume and can reach a good number of viewers if targeted properly.

2. Make Use of SEO Tools

Long Tail Keywords: Semrush

There are many SEO tools available online which can be used to search for long tail keywords with less competition and good search volume. Ahrefs, Semrush, and Google Keyword planner are some examples of SEO tools which can be used to find highly relevant keywords for your webpage.

3. People Also Ask (PAA) Boxes

Long tail keywords

The People Also Ask box is a section in Google search result pages where frequent questions asked by users are listed. You can use plugins or free extensions to search for these questions, which are generally in long form. You can target these long tail keywords in your content. For example:

“Which online Digital Marketing Course is Best beginners?”
“Why Choose PW Skills Digital Marketing Course?”

How To Use Long Tail Keywords In Your Content?

Check the step by step method to use long tail keywords in your content.

1. Know Your Target Audience

Before starting with your content, you must be familiar with your target audience’s buyer persona, which represents their needs and preferences. This allows you to prepare your long tail keyword strategy accordingly. You can conduct surveys, focus groups, and interviews for deeper insights in knowing your customers.

2. Find Long Tail Keyword

You have to search for the relevant long tail keyword to start targeting users with valuable content. These keywords might have low search volumes but the conversion rates for these keywords are significantly higher.

Apply important filters based on your preferences, such as the length of the long tail keywords (four or more words), SEO Difficulty range, Volume, and more. Most Keyword research tools will offer you these options and display to you a filtered list of relevant keywords.

3. Consider Search Intent

Make sure the content you will be covering with these long tail keywords satisfies your users’ needs and problems. Hence, understanding user intent is very much crucial and your goal must be to provide high-quality content which matches user intent. The objective is not just to rank but to provide a positive user experience, as it is an important search metric.

4. Write Your Content

Now you have all the information available you need for your blog post, product description or other. All you need is to start writing your content with a proper SEO friendly structure. Your content must focus on the following metrics.

Appealing Headline or Title
Eye-catching intro/byline
Focus on audience
Engaging Content
Unique Brand Voice
Structured Online
Citation from trusted sources
Frequently asked Questions

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Long Tail Keywords FAQs

Q1. What are long tail keywords?

Ans: Long tail keywords in SEO are a type of keyword with a long number of words or phrases compared to a normal keyword. They are generally high-precision queries that people use when they are searching for something specific on Google search pages.

Q2. Do long-tail keywords offer higher conversions?

Ans: Long tail keywords despite their low search volumes, tend to have higher conversion rates due to their relevance with the user intent.

Q3. What is an example of long tail keyword?

Ans: “Best noise-cancelling headphones for frequent travellers” is a simple example of a long tail keyword.

Q4. What is the use of long tail keyword?

Ans: Long tail keywords are generally high length (3 or more) keywords with comparatively lower competition levels and relatively low search volumes. They are generally specific keywords with a probable higher conversion rate.