Content Marketing
What Are Long-Tail Keywords? + Examples
See how long-tail keywords can help you improve your SEO by helping with audience targeting, conversion optimization, and more. Includes examples!
When it comes to search engine optimization, you’ve got seconds to entice a user to click on your listing in the results pages. With so many pages competing for those coveted top spots, it’s more important than ever for your listing to stand out and get noticed.
The days of being able to rank for generic terms are gone, and the focus of keyword research has shifted to long-tail keywords. These highly specific search phrases are designed to target audiences that are looking for precisely what you have to offer at that moment.
Still, finding and using these long-tail keywords can be challenging. How do you know that people are even searching for something so exact? That’s where our guide can help.
Learn what long-tail keywords are and get examples of long-tail keywords and how they work.
Unlike generic search terms such as “gourmet chocolate,” long-tail keywords usually contain three or more words and are much more specific.
Example: Instead of “women’s jewelry,” a long-tail keyword might be “women’s nickel-free boho style jewelry.”
While it’s true that these keywords may not be searched as often, when they are, the person searching for them is likely looking to make a purchase or take a step further in the customer journey beyond having a general awareness and doing a broad search.
Long-tail keywords have certain traits in common when compared to their shorter, broader counterparts (known as “short-tail” keywords). These include:
Long-tail keywords are more specific and zero in on a very specific aspect of a broader search term.
Examples:
Because they’re so specific, in many cases, fewer people search for long-tail keywords, so they typically have a lower search volume.
At first glance, this can make it seem like targeting them is a strategy that’s simply not worth your time. However, nothing could be further from the truth.
Long-tail keywords are great for search engine optimization. By targeting these words and phrases, you’re much more likely to increase search engine rankings than if you were trying to rank for broader, ultra-competitive phrases.
People searching for long-tail keywords are much more likely to make a purchase or take another conversion-related action than those who search for broader terms.
Plus, this doesn’t just apply to buying products.
Example: Someone who searches for a term like “best waterproof windbreaker for hiking” would be much more likely to:
In contrast to someone generally searching for “hiking gear.”
If your website is new or you’re just starting out with a new marketing campaign, you’ll be glad to know that long-tail keywords are often easier to rank for.
Not only will you have far less competition to deal with, but you’ll also be saving a lot of money over not having to bid for the highest spot for more generic terms (that may not result in a conversion!).
Beyond the benefits above, long-tail keywords are also in a class all their own when it comes to marketing and content optimization.
Long-tail keywords are great for niche marketing.
With long-tail keywords, you can more directly answer the user’s specific questions and address their search intent through more personalized content.
Example: Someone looking for “time management apps for marketers” is looking for a very specific type of app. This lets you narrow your focus to precisely the audience you want to target (in this case, that would be busy marketers looking to save time).
With the release of Google’s E-E-A-T algorithm highlighting experience, expertise, authenticity and trust, becoming an authority in a smaller, more targeted niche is a great way to cement yourself as a thought leader or a trusted source of information in a space.
The internet is a treasure trove of long-tail keywords — if you know where to look!
You can also do competitor analysis to see how (or even if) they’re using long-tail keywords. Use Originality.ai’s Content Optimizer to see how you’re doing compared to other high-ranking sites for a chosen keyword or phrase (including long-tail keywords).
When you add AI into the mix of long-tail keyword research, you open up several lucrative opportunities to hone in on the best possible words and phrases to rank for.
Learn more about AI for keyword research in our comprehensive guide.
You can use long-tail keywords beyond things like e-commerce product descriptions or blog posts.
In fact, long-tail keywords can be used in different ways depending on what stage of the sales funnel your prospect is in.
As you can see, incorporating long-tail keywords as part of your SEO strategy is an excellent way to connect with prospects at every level of interest.
Even if you’re already targeting long-tail keywords, it’s a good idea to see where your content is ranking from a foundational standpoint, to give you a baseline to build from.
For example, if you’re ranking well for the long-tail keyword “best budget laptops for college students,” you’re already doing well, so what could you improve on?
You could then go into detail writing a blog post about why engineering students need specific hardware, which laptops are best for running the CAD software, and/or a model comparison that’s sortable based on specific specs like GPU, CPU, and RAM.
There are a great deal of long-tail keyword opportunities just waiting to be explored and expanded upon.
Long-tail keywords are no longer just something that’s “nice to have” as part of your SEO strategy; they’re a necessity.
Although they might not bring in waves and waves of traffic like their short-tail keyword cousins, their ability to bring in highly-targeted, conversion-ready visitors is notable.
By learning how to uncover long-tail keywords and optimize your pages for them, you’ll be able to target and reach more leads and help your pages rank higher in the search engines.
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