Keywords play a crucial part in content marketing SEO strategy.
Effective keyword research for on-page copy will help search engines better find the right customers and users for your website. Keywords also help search engines include your website in a user’s search query. When keywords are used correctly in an SEO marketing strategy, there’s a good chance that your web page will get a higher Google ranking and get high-quality traffic.
So what is the difference between long and short tail keywords? In this article, we will go over the difference between long tail keywords and short tail keywords, how to choose which keywords to optimize, and how to find keywords you should be optimizing.
What Are Short Tail Keywords
Short tail keywords are search terms that contain only one or two words, such as "SEO" or "Fiction books" Their brevity makes them broad and generic, as opposed to longer, more specific long tail variations.
For example:
Short tail: Marketing
Long tail: Digital marketing consultation in San Diego
The shorter "marketing" term casts a wide net with high volume across all marketing contexts. Whereas "digital marketing consultation in San Diego" targets a narrower, localized audience searching for a specific service.
Short tails tend to have higher monthly search volumes compared to long tails due to their nonspecific nature. Your business might try to target a handful of competitive short terms but don't make it your exclusive focus. Short tails should be balanced with longer phrases containing details like location, product attributes, and buying contexts. While targeting the broad term, related long tails will also appear in that content.
A strategic keyword approach includes:
Short tail = visibility
Long tail = conversions
What Are Long Tail Keywords
Long tail keywords are more specific search phrases typically containing four or more words. Unlike broad short tail keywords, long tails narrow focus with descriptive details like location, features, attributes, questions, etc.
For example, "Pizza" is a short tail term, while "How to make pizza at home" is a long tail variation specifying context and intent.
Though less individually searched, long tails comprise almost 80% of Google queries. They offer opportunity with less competition versus packed short tail terms.
Short Tail Keyword: Digital Marketing
Long Tail Version: Top digital marketing agencies in Los Angeles
The more generic "digital marketing" has higher search volume but intense competition. Optimizing for a tailored city-specific long tail term can more easily rank given its narrower targeting.
Long tails better attract qualified audiences by aligning to their precise needs. Lower competition also keeps paid search costs down. This allows smaller businesses to cost-effectively reach niche searches with contextual messaging.
An effective keyword strategy should utilize both short and long tails. Remember
Short = Drive volume, brand recognition
Long = Convert focused audiences, cost efficiency
Balance broad visibility with conversion optimization for ideal SEO results.
Choosing Which Keywords To Optimize For
Both types of keywords come with their own set of advantages and drawbacks.
Short-tail keywords come with high competition, but outranking pages in the top 10 is not an impossible challenge. But time, patience, and consistency are key. Achieving this feat could require years of meticulous content refinement and gradual accumulation of backlinks. However, the payoff is worth it.
Substantial traffic is garnered from the head term and relevant long-tail keywords. Additionally, ranking high for these keywords often results in the acquisition of quality backlinks, which can be strategically used for internal linking to boost other pages on your site and get other areas of your business more attention.
On the other hand, long-tail keywords offer a different set of distinct benefits. Typically:
They face less competition.
Abundance characterizes their availability.
They tend to be specific, attracting visitors with precise intent.
The trade-off, however, is that to gain a significant volume of traffic, you'll need to rank for a multitude of long-tail keywords. But, if these keywords align with your business objectives, the resulting traffic can be highly valuable.
If you can find some niche long tail keywords that relate to your business, you might be one of the top searches by default because it isn't as in demand. For example, if you sell Cowboy hats specifically for people with larger heads. There's traffic to be had from that. If you're a store that specializes in left handed item sales, there's another opportunity for some long tail keyword potential.
Work to your strengths and find ways to be unique and stand out.
Related: How to Do Effective Keyword Research
Final Thoughts: Short vs. Long Tail Keywords
Probably the most important takeaway here is not to target keywords of one specific type. A good mix of both long and short will help for business growth. At the end of the day, every business has different needs and budgets while operating in different industries. Larger businesses can afford to compete for higher search volume and short tail keywords, while smaller businesses should focus their search marketing efforts on long tail keywords to establish a place in the online market. Find your place, create keyword goals and start working your way up the SEO ladder.
Related: The Complete Guide to SEO Marketing
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