11 Simple Benefits of Using Long-Tail Keywords for SEO

This post was originally published on PixoLabo

The Value of Long-Tail Keywords for SEO

Suppose you want to drive more traffic to your website. In that case, it's essential to have an intentional SEO strategy that considers who your buyers are and how they utilize search.

One of the key things to establish in that strategy is the keywords you'll aim to rank for in search, ultimately bringing your audience to your website.

With the growing competition around core keywords that every SEO practitioner wants to target, there is a need to develop more creative solutions to stay on top of your game.

The solution? Long-tail keywords.                                               

Long-tail keywords have been used by experts offering SEO services for a while now, and it still works. If used correctly, it can be a compelling way to take advantage of high-intent search traffic.

In this post, I'll break down the benefits of long-tail keywords and how to find them.

Long-Tail Keywords vs. Short-Tail Keywords

Before I get into the benefits of long-tail keywords for your SEO strategy, let’s define the term.

When it comes to search keywords, there are a wide variety of keyword types. These fall into two common categories: short-tail keywords and long-tail keywords.

Short-tail keywords: 

These are prevalent searches that are general and yield a wide range of search results. They're often just 1-2 words.

An example of a short-tail keyword is web design.

Long-tail keywords: 

Long-tail keywords are keyword phrases that are three or more words long and very specific as they focus on a niche.

Long-tail keywords are not searched as often but provide more targeted results.

These are more specific search phrases that “have a long-tail of “unpopular” searches.” In this case, “unpopular" refers to the fact that fewer people search for long-tail keywords.

An example of a long-tail keyword is web design agency in Seattle.

11 Benefits of Using Long-Tail Keywords

When determining the types of keywords to optimize your content, it's essential to factor in the pros and cons of each.

As I mentioned above, short tail keywords are broad searches. These generalized searches tend to have a higher search volume. They can be easier to incorporate on-page as we're writing content.

At the same time, when there is a high level of competition for these keywords, it will be significantly harder to rank for them. If you are bidding on them for a paid ad campaign, they tend to cost more.

That’s where long-tail keywords come into play.

There are many benefits of long-tail keywords that make them an essential part of any SEO strategy. Here are the most common benefits of using long-tail keywords I like to point out to our clients:

1 - They Have Lower Competition

Long-tail keywords are much easier to rank than short-tail keywords because of the relatively low competition. According to Search Engine Land, 70% of all web searches come from long-tail keywords. Suppose you're not focusing on them in your strategy. In that case, you miss out on massive opportunities to drive quality traffic to your website.

2 - They Have Better Conversion Rates

People who use long-tail keywords in search know more about what they want. Therefore, companies often see better conversion rates when using long-tail keywords as the content is more targeted to the website visitor's needs.

The needs of your visitors are the search intent.

Here is an example:

You're trying to find a commercial painting company to refresh your office space. If you search "painting company," then you'll likely get hundreds of results. These will include a mix of commercial and residential painters, companies that make paint, non-local companies, and possibly even paint supply stores.

If you instead search “commercial painting company in Seattle, WA," your results are more likely to be a painter that specializes in your industry and works in your city.

You are likely getting pretty close to decide on a painting service, depending on what the search results offer up. Leading visitors to make a quicker buying decision is another advantage of using long-tail keywords.

3 - They Increase Your Content Visibility

Whenever someone searches for a long-tail keyword, Google personalizes the search results depending on their location, age, sex, interests, etc.

That means two users entering the same search term may see different results. Long-tail keywords can help optimize your website for different categories of searchers because they’re more specific.

4 - They Can Help New or Low-Authority Pages Rank Quickly

Google ranks web pages according to a few factors, including authority, quality, and relevance. A few giant industry players dominate the rankings for high-competition keywords because these pages tend to have higher authority in the form of backlinks.

But suppose your webpage is newer, or you just haven't managed to attract enough backlinks. In that case, your "authority" won't be able to compete, even if your content is the highest quality it can be.

In this case, you can gain a strategic advantage by being more relevant to your target audiences. Targeting long-tail keywords that are more specific can create highly relevant content that answers these search terms better than other pages. 

You then stand a chance at ranking for these lower-competition keywords even without a ton of backlinks propping up your page or blog post.

5 - They Will Help You Rank for Short-Tail Keywords Too

More often than not, long-tail keywords already include the short keywords for which you want to rank. This combination makes it easier to reach both of your goals, boosting your ranking for those main keywords as well as your specific, targeted ones.

Higher site rankings equal more organic traffic, so this is good news.

6 - They Optimize Your Blog Strategy

One of the easiest ways for your website to start ranking is to create fresh content. And the easiest way to do that is to keep a regular blog focused on the needs and expectations of your target audience.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed about how to start, you don’t have to worry, as your long-tail keywords can guide you.

They can give you insights into what your audience is searching. And it creates valuable content to address some of their pain points while utilizing said key phrases.

7 - They Allow You to Personalize Your Content

Let's talk more about long-tail keywords guiding the content you produce. Long-tail keywords comprise four or five words (sometimes even longer). Usually, they contain descriptive words like gender, nationality, or geographical location.

You can use this to your advantage by creating different content that can support the various categories and services your company offers. It allows you to be more targeted with your content strategy and reap the benefits of contextual marketing.

8 - You Can Get Them from Google Analytics

Keyword research for long-tail terms isn’t as complicated as you might think. Some of them may come straight from your web analytics service like Google Analytics.

Combined with Google Search Console, you'll be able to see the performance of your chosen long-tail keywords, such as search volume and conversion rates. This data allows you to choose the best ones for your SEO strategy.

9 - They Prepare You for Future Trends

Long-tail keywords are more conversational, and that’s a crucial ingredient in your SEO strategy. They’re at the heart of Google’s latest search engine algorithm, as it aims to study Natural Language Processing (NLP) and the intent behind the search.

Voice assistants, who read off answers from featured snippets, prioritize results that include long-tail keywords in them.

Bottom line, adopting long-tail keywords is necessary for your blog or website’s future.

10 - They Work Better for Voice Search

It’s also imperative to consider how people are engaging with search.

According to Moz, 70% of online searches are long-tail keywords. People are searching as if they’re talking with or asking a question to the search bar, leading to more long-tail keyword searches.

Factor in voice search with tools like Alexa, Siri, and Google Home, and the conversational component becomes even more compelling.

Searchers using voice search are the kind of person searching with long-tail keywords. They want a specific service, and they are precisely the kind of person you need and want to reach.

Why? Because when they find good content that answers their questions, high-intent users are more likely to convert. Targeting long-tail keywords is a crucial strategy for increasing your conversion rate.

11 - They Cost Less to Bid On

If you’re using Google Ads, it’s also noteworthy that it usually costs less to bid on long-tail keywords.

The Disadvantage of Long-Tail Keywords

It’s safe to say that at PixoLabo, we're big fans of long-tail keywords, but there is one disadvantage to consider.

Long-tail Keywords Have Low Search Volume

The low search volume of long-tail keywords is the only significant drawback of this type of search term. I know what you’re thinking. “You just said 70% of searches are long-tail keywords.” That’s true.

But with the amount of long-tail keyword searches a person might conduct, there are fewer total searches of each specific phrase you might be targeting.

Because there are many possible phrases to optimize for, it takes additional research to ensure your long-tail keyword strategy is effective.

If no one is searching for a particular term, there's no point in targeting it because no one will find it. So, you need to make sure someone is searching for your content.

You have to ensure you target keywords with a minimum monthly search volume. Your mileage may vary depending on the nature of your company. We generally recommend at least 20-50 searches per month as a minimum.

Ultimately, The Benefits Outweigh the Disadvantages

If you ask us, the benefits of long-tail keywords vastly outweigh the disadvantages.

Even a search term with a minimal search volume can be valuable if it's easier to rank for and leads to more conversions by attracting higher-intent target audiences.

How to Get Started Using Long-Tail Keywords

Looking for long-tail keywords requires at least some keyword research. Depending on your industry or target audience, keyword research can quickly become very intensive.

But there are a couple of ways to get started that can help guide the rest of your strategy:

Identify Your Mission

Long-tail keywords are valuable because they're specific and highly targeted. Used wisely, they can help you show users what sets your business apart from the others. 

The folks at Yoast recommend identifying your mission before performing keyword research. That way, when it comes time to choose which long-tail keywords to target, you can make sure they reflect exactly what your business provides.

In other words, it does no good to target a lower-volume search phrase like "SEO company New York" unless you are an SEO company in New York.

Use Google to Suggest Keywords

One quick, free way to get started finding long-tail keywords is to use Google’s autocomplete feature to predict a long-tail keyword search.

If you type a general term like “web design” into the search bar, you’ll see more specific, long-tail keywords start popping up.

Keep in mind, your location and previous searches skew this predictive data, so it's not a perfect solution.

Check Related Searches at the Bottom of the Page

Google also suggests related searches at the end of the first page, which are worth checking out. You can explore a wide range of long-tail keywords here and better understand users' search intent.

Use Keyword Research Tools

If you’re just getting started and don’t have a tool in place, there are some simple tricks to help you begin identifying your keywords.

If you’re ready to invest in your SEO strategy, there are many tools out there to help simplify the process. Some that our team has used over the years include:

• Google Search Console
• Rank Math
• SE Ranking
• Google Trends
• Moz
• SEMrush

Currently, we use Rank Math, SE Ranking, SEMrush, Google Search Console, and occasionally we incorporate Google Ads Keyword Planner.

Keep in mind; keyword planner is a paid search tool, so we don't recommend using this on its own.

You can also try free tools like Answer the Public.

Long-Tail Keywords – Are They Worth It?

Yes! If you want to build an effective organic search strategy, optimizing for long-tail keywords is essential.

First, you must identify your mission and some long-tail keywords you're confident you can target with quality content. Next, you have to craft some blog topics around those keywords and add them to a content calendar.

You’ll be creating quality content, and blog posts aimed at high-value leads in no time.

If you would like to learn more about using long-tail keywords or need help to get started feel free to reach out.

By Gregor Saita

Gregor is Co-Founder and CXO of PixoLabo, a multilingual virtual creative lab working with clients in North America, Europe, and SE Asia. With over 25 years of experience in web, UX, and information design, Gregor consults for startups in Asia and the US. He is also an adjunct professor of design and user experience, a creative technologist and consultant at EnLinx Partners, LLC, and a foreign language editor at the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine. Gregor lives with his wife, an award-winning Japanese designer, and photographer, in Sendai, Japan. When he is not working, he enjoys writing, exploring, gardening, and sampling new street food. You can connect with Gregor on LinkedIn or Twitter.