Long Tail Keywords: What Are They, How to Find & Rank For Them?

long tail keywords

Long tail keywords are specific keyword phrases that consist of three to five words.

As these keywords are precise, they allow content marketers and SEO experts to target niche markets.

They have low search volume and low competition but a high conversion rate.

In this article, you will learn what long-tail keywords are, how to search and use them in your content, and rank on the search results page.

What Are Long Tail Keywords?

Long tail keywords are search intent-specific phrases that contain three or more words.

They get their name not because of their length but their position on the search demand curve.

As these keywords are usually less in demand and incur billions of queries, they are positioned at the bottom of the curve, forming a long tail on the graph.

What Are Long Tail Keywords
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These keywords let Google understand not just what the searcher wants to know about a query but also why they are searching them.

For example, ‘Lady Gaga Songs’ is a seed keyword, whereas ‘Lady Gaga latest music video’ is a specific long tail keyword that tells Google a user wants to see the latest music videos of Lady Gaga.

For the initial keyword ‘Lady Gaga Songs’, a user can see a list of songs and get recommendations to listen to her songs on Spotify and other music platforms.

Long Tail Keywords of Latest Music

For the long tail keyword, a user can directly see the latest YouTube music video of Lady Gaga.

Long Tail Keywords of Latest Music 1

Visitors with a conversion intent or voice search are more likely to use long-tail keywords.

Though these keywords can receive as low as 10-15 searches a month, they occupy almost 90% of the keyword database in the U.S., which is the largest in the industry.

Thus, long-tail keywords are a valuable asset for any business and are easier to rank on SERP.

How to Find Long-Tail Keywords?

There are several resources to find exact match long tail keywords, which suggest what your audience is searching for.

Here are our ten recommendations that you can use to uncover long-tail keyword opportunities.

1. Use Google Suggest

Google suggest is the goldmine for long-tail keyword research.

All you have to do is enter a head keyword, and you can see several recommendations.

Use Google Suggest
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These keywords come directly from Google, which indicates that people are searching for those exact phrases.

You can also use Ubersuggest or keywordtool.io to find keyword suggestions from Google suggest.

Enter a seed keyword in the search box, and you can see thousands of long keywords from Google autocomplete.

For example, here you can see a list of keyword ideas for the seed keyword ‘vegan diet’ from keywordtool.io.

keywordtool.io

Similarly, you can enter any seed keyword to find what exactly people want to know about a keyword. This opens a window to quickly research headings and sub-headings in your content, developing an effective content skeleton in the process.

It helps you understand the user’s search intent and behavior about a particular keyword.

2. Browse on Amazon

Amazon is an unexplored search tool with a massive potential for keywords.

People search for something on Amazon with a buying intent.

Hence, Amazon is the place to search if you are looking for long-tail keywords with navigational or commercial intent.

For example, if you search for vacation ideas on Amazon, its search autocomplete gives various suggestions, such as vacation gift ideas or books about vacation destinations.

Browse on Amazon

These keywords indicate people are regularly searching for vacation gifts and destinations.

Most of these keywords are close to conversion.

Around 300 million people use Amazon worldwide, and SEOs can leverage Amazon for high-conversion keywords.

3. Discover Google’s Related Searches

You can find many long-tail keywords at the bottom of the search results page.

Usually, related searches display what people are recently searching for about a topic.

Just enter any head keyword and scroll to the bottom of the page to see all the related search recommendations.

For example, you can see the related search keywords for the seed keyword ‘regular exercise’.

Discover Google’s Related Searches

These are in-demand keywords that can generate high conversions for your business.

4. Search on Social Media Forums And Communities

Searchers use forums and communities to ask and answer questions and discuss topics.

Q/A websites like Quora, Reddit, and Yahoo answers are massive global discussion forums where people usually discuss all content pillars about a niche.

Search on Social Media Forums And Communities
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You can also check Twitter hashtags to find your target keywords.

To use forums for your keyword research, open Quora or any other social media discussion site and enter your keyword to find all the trending long tail keywords.

You can also directly enter ‘seed keyword+ discussions’ on Google search to locate active discussion forums.

Search on Social Media Forums And Communities1

Observe the titles and phrases searchers use in their discussion threads, as these are potential keywords.

5. Explore Answer The Public

Answer the public is yet another keyword research tool, which generates long tail keywords using question modifiers such as what, why, or when.

You can simply enter your seed keyword or topic to find a relevant long-tail word for your business.

For example, you can study the search results for the seed keyword ‘rank brain’.

Explore Answer The Public

There are several long-tail keyword recommendations, starting with almost every question modifier.

6. Keyword Explorer Tools

You can find dozens of keyword explorer tools on the internet.

For example:

Keyword Explorer Tools
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The best thing about keyword research tools is that you can also study monthly search volume and keyword difficulty data and accordingly select a keyword suitable for your target audience.

With the help of keyword research, you can plan a better SEO strategy to rank your target keywords.

7. Google Trends

Google Trends analyzes the popularity of a keyword across regions.

It also provides data on keyword popularity over time.

Here’s how to use Google Trends for long-tail keyword ideas.

Enter a search term on the website and scroll down to see related topics and queries at the bottom.

Google Trends
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These are your long-tail versions of the seed keyword.

You can also compare two keywords on Trends to check their popularity and volume in different parts of a country.

It’s helpful to analyze search volume in different regions if your business targets keywords with local intent.

8. SERPs People Also Ask Section

Navigate to the people also ask section on the search engine results page.

These are the questions that web users commonly ask about a topic.

SERPs People Also Ask Section
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For more long-tail keywords, click on a question from the ‘people also ask’ section.

Google adds more questions on the widget, generating hundreds of keywords.

You can check the volume and popularity of your target keywords among your target audience.

9. Google Search Console

You need a Google Ads account to access the search console.

Google search console provides long tail keywords to add to the existing content on your site.

Google Search Console
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Using these keywords, you can optimize your content for more key phrases.

To find long-tail key phrases on the search console:

  • Open the search results tab on the Google console.
  • Set the period for the last 30 days to filter the latest data.
  • Add a URL to extract keywords from an existing webpage.
  • Filter ranking positions based on impressions.
  • Export those keywords in a spreadsheet and use them in your content.

Similarly, you can enter a competitor’s URL to find long tail key phrases from their high-ranking site.

Usually, competitor keywords allow you to maximize traffic and fill the content gap by providing extra insights into a topic.

10. Keywords Everywhere

Keywords Everywhere is a browser extension that allows access to keyword metrics for seed keywords.

It adds widgets to Google SERPs and‌ displays all the related keywords.

Keywords Everywhere
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The keyword research includes data for CPC (Cost Per Click), search volume, and competition for the keyword.

How to Rank For Long-Tail Keywords?

Ranking for long-tail keywords might be easy, but they generate very few impressions.

With those limited impressions, you cannot expect a sudden boost in your website traffic.

However, the conversion rate is high because most people search for those keywords with a buyer’s intent.

Here is how you can rank for long-tail key phrases:

1. Research Long-Tail Key Phrases

Use any of the above keyword research tools and find the one you want to rank for.

Choose phrases with keyword difficulty between 40-50% as it’s easier to rank them on the first page on SERPs.

Research Long-Tail Key Phrases

Consider the CPC of the keywords. Generally, a CPC of around $15-$35 suggests that the keyword has a high conversion rate.

Also, check the estimated volume per month and the backlink profile of your target keywords.

Your target is not only to rank but to provide comprehensive content that can answer people’s queries.

2. Create an Audience Persona

The audience persona for long-tail keywords is different from short-tail ones.

Thus, create a unique persona for your target audience.

Create an Audience Persona
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Try to put yourself in your audience’s shoes to understand their search intent.

Include details such as the goals, objectives, challenges, and what you can offer to your ideal customer.

3. Optimize Your Content for Long Tail keywords

Use your long-tail keyword as the primary keyword in your content.

Include the keyword in the meta description, title, H1 tag, and conclusion.

For example, if you are writing a 2000-word article for a 4-word long tail keyword, try to use that keyword at least 5-7 times in the content.

Don’t forget to sprinkle secondary-related keywords throughout the content.

Optimize Your Content for Long Tail keywords
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The frequency of your keyword usage depends on the content length. Usually, a frequency of 8-10 in long-form content is acceptable.

You can also use the variation of your target keyword.

Also, include more topics in your content from the ‘people also ask’ section of the SERP.

Avoid keyword stuffing and write naturally because Google algorithms are smart enough to filter such content.

Try to enrich your content for secondary keywords as well for more traffic.

Finally, perform on-page SEO and post your content to wait for it to rank on Google.

Why Are Long Tail Keywords Important For SEO?

Here are four reasons why you must consider long-tail keyword phrases an integral part of your SEO strategy.

1. Less Competition

Imagine your website provides machine learning (ML) courses for working professionals.

Your website blog wants to provide articles about ML to help students and attract an audience who is interested in ML.

If you enter machine learning in the keyword research tool and observe the keyword difficulty for long tail keywords. You can see that it’s around 50-60 and the CPC is about $8-$12.

Less Competition

Topics like ML are trendy and in demand. Hence, you may not find lower keyword difficulty.

However, the difficulty for short-tail keywords is as high as 90-100%, which indicates how long-tail key phrases are usually less competitive.

2. Better Potential For Organic Traffic

95% of Google searches are of more than four words, which means there are too many long tail keywords with a better ranking potential.

Better Potential For Organic Traffic
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Paid advertising can ensure your content reaches the audience, but you have to pay for every click.

With long-tail key phrases, you can replace paid clicks with organic clicks since organic traffic is more valuable and brings loyal, long-term customers.

3. High Conversion Rates

People who use long tail keywords for search are closer to conversion because they have a specific intent.

For example, when someone searches for a ‘machine learning course for working professionals’, Google specifically targets their search to show suitable machine learning courses for professionals.

High Conversion Rates

Here the intent is clear, as the searcher is looking for a specific course for specific people. If they can find a good one, there is a high chance they might sign up for the course.

4. You Can Target Short Tail Keywords as Well

Long tail keywords consist of your seed keyword in them.

Optimize your content for secondary keywords with a long tail as your primary target and include value-offering content related to secondary keywords in your articles.

You can try ranking for both your seed keyword and long tail keyword.

Verdict

It’s beneficial to rank for long-tail keywords if your business wants to target a specific category of audience.

You can easily rank for them because fewer websites are competing for those keywords.

Overall, long-tail keywords are essential for every SEO strategy to reach your target audience online.

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