Focusing on long-tail keywords is an interesting SEO strategy. Long-tail phrases are more specific and usually longer, compared with more commonly used keywords. Importantly, they generate less traffic from search engines, but usually deliver a higher conversion rate, because they are more specific. They allow for a gradual increase in traffic to the site and for the website to be found by new, motivated audiences.
A strategy focused on long-tail keywords can indeed help when there is strong competition in the market or for the keyword around which a given website is to be optimised. Most businesses can benefit from this strategy, because it helps attract visitors with specific search intent.
What is a long-tail phrase?
A long-tail phrase usually consists of 3-5 words. Because such phrases are more specific compared with general terms, they allow you to reach different niches. Such keywords are also less competitive compared with generic keywords, because they better reflect how people formulate queries. With long-tail keywords, you can generate more, higher-quality traffic to your website, which is most likely to lead to conversions.
Long-tail keywords are becoming increasingly important when it comes to customers. Usually, a user starts with a simple search, but over time focuses on more detail. This is where long-tail phrases become important, because they allow you to stand out from the competition.
- 01Precise and nicheReaching specific niches
- 02Less competitiveEasier to optimise for
- 03Higher-quality trafficLeads to conversions
- 04Natural queriesReflects the way people search
The key to effective SEO: Precision leads to better results and conversions.
Are long-tail keywords important for SEO?
More than 70% of queries use long-tail keywords. This has become particularly widespread among people who often use voice search. In general, people type into Google queries using the same types of phrases as those used, for example, when talking to a friend. This is known as natural language. Using long-tail keywords makes it likely that the content will attract such users and potential buyers to the site.
Long-tail phrases consisting of several words make queries more specific. This means that both users and website owners get better results. Brands gain traffic that is more closely related to their content, and this improves the ability to attract new customers effectively. Customers also receive content that is closer to their goal, and this increases their satisfaction.
The specificity of long-tail keywords also means less competition for each phrase. Brands can better match their specific keywords to what they provide to users.
Example of a long-tail keyword
Depending on the content topics on a given site and the number of pages, it will be necessary to create quite a substantial, appropriate list of long-tail phrases that can be used on the site. It is unrealistic and bad for SEO to optimise every page for the same keyword. That is why it is necessary to have a large list of good phrases.
If you run a local brand and are looking for local traffic, adding the words “near me” to long-tail phrases is a good practice. For example, long-tail keywords such as “organic coffee shops near me” or “buying a swimming pool near me” are good examples of a user using queries containing very long long-tail phrases. Using specific phrases such as “organic coffee shop” and “garden pools” will help with better SEO. However, these are more common keywords for which larger brands are optimising.
- 01Keyword diversificationCreate a large, unique list.
- 02Local matchingAdd “near me” for local traffic
- 03Specific queryE.g. “organic coffee shop near me”.
The key is to have a sizeable list of varied, precise keywords for different subpages.
Why should you focus on long-tail keywords?
SEO for long-tail keywords is easier compared with more common keywords, because fewer pages compete for a high position on Google’s search results page in their case.
The longer (the more specific) the search terms are, the easier it is to rank for them. Due to the vast size of the Internet, it is easier to find an audience for a specific niche. Focusing on a group of long-tail keywords can lead to an increase in traffic through them.
Another benefit of focusing on long-tail keywords is the fact that, although such keywords are used less often in searches, a user who finds your site through them will probably buy a service or product.
Let’s assume that we are looking for a new board game to play with children. The search usually starts with the term [gry planszowe]. After some research, we conclude that we are looking for a board game suitable for children, with educational elements. We therefore continue the search using the phrase [edukacyjne gry planszowe dla dzieci].
For example, knowing that we will be in Warsaw this week, we can even try searching using a local phrase, such as [gdzie kupić edukacyjne gry planszowe dla dzieci w Warszawie]. In both cases, we are dealing with long-tail keywords. By using such keywords, you can find new results that are closer to a specific search intent. The chances of buying a board game increase significantly with this more specific search.
What makes long-tail keywords so great?
Below are three reasons why you should consider using long-tail keywords as an integral part of your SEO strategy.
- 01High competitionHard to win, high KD
- 02Lower difficulty (KD)Easier ranking, less traffic
- 03Greater relevanceBetter results for new sites
The key to success, especially for new blogs, is targeting less competitive, more precise keywords.
Long-tail keywords are usually less competitive
Let’s assume that you have set up a blog about cryptocurrencies. There are many popular keywords with a large search volume that can potentially generate huge blog traffic.
Such keywords can drive traffic, but let’s be realistic. What are the chances that your blog will achieve a high position in the SERPs for any of these phrases in the short term?
All of the keywords above have a high Keyword Difficulty (KD) score, i.e. “Keyword Difficulty”. This means that it will be difficult to reach the first page for any of these keywords. If a site is completely new, achieving such a goal will be practically impossible.
In the case of less popular bitcoin-related queries, you can see that their KD score is low (if this metric is reliable for us, because it can very often be questioned). This means that even a new website has a chance to appear among the top 10 search results and attract many visitors thanks to such keywords.
Long-tail keywords are usually easier to target at the right audience
In the case of the phrase “How to buy bitcoin”, we are dealing with a straightforward question. However, the top-ranking page for such a query contains 3,400 words.
By contrast, the best page for the phrase “how to withdraw large amounts of bitcoin” contains only 1,000 words.
The point is that the more general the query, the more details need to be taken into account when addressing the audience. If, however, the query is specific, you can often answer it concisely and satisfy searchers in this way.
In other words, creating content for long-tail keywords requires less work.
You can pay attention to groups of similar long-tail queries and target them at pages that differ from one another in only a few respects.
The same website-building software will probably suit therapists, teachers or actors. This means that for these different searches, you can match pages that are 80% similar in content, while the remaining 20% is tailored to each user profile.
In other words, you can easily create dozens of pages a day tailored to similar long-tail queries.
There are plenty of such keywords
Of course, none of the individual long-tail keywords will generate huge traffic to the website. But when you optimise for one after another, search traffic will become significant.
Because there are many long-tail keywords in practically every industry, it is hard to experience problems related to their shortage.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What are long-tail keywords in SEO?
These are longer and more specific keywords, usually made up of 3–5 words. They better reflect how people actually phrase their searches in a search engine.
Are long-tail keywords important for SEO?
Yes, because over 70% of searches use these kinds of keywords. They help you reach more motivated users and potential customers.
Why do long-tail keywords have less competition?
Because they are more specific than broad keywords. Fewer pages compete for such queries, so it is easier to rank for them.
When is it worth focusing on long-tail keywords?
Especially when competition in the market is high or it is hard to rank for the main keyword. It is also a good strategy for new sites that need to build traffic gradually.
What does optimising for long-tail keywords give you?
It allows you to attract traffic that is better matched to the content and the user’s intent. Such traffic usually has a higher conversion potential.
How do you create long-tail keywords for local SEO?
It is worth adding local modifiers to them, for example “near me”. Such queries help you reach people looking for a specific service or product in a given area.
