Long-Tail Keyword Strategy: High Conversion with Low Competition
What is a Long-Tail Keyword?
Long-tail keywords are queries that generally consist of 3-5+ words, have low search volume but reflect a specific search intent. Although Chris Anderson first popularized the term in 2004, in the context of SEO, data from Ahrefs shows that 92.42% of all Google searches are long-tail queries with a monthly volume of 10 or fewer searches.
Example comparison:
- Short tail (Head): "SEO" — 165,000 monthly searches, KD: 92
- Middle tail (Body): "How to do SEO" — 8,100 monthly searches, KD: 55
- Long-tail: "SEO checklist for WordPress e-commerce site" — 320 monthly searches, LO: 12
3 Great Advantages of Long-Tail Words
1. Conversion Rate is Much Higher
The user who writes a specific long-tail query is in the advanced stages of the research process and knows what he wants. While someone looking for "the best SEO tool" is still weighing their options, someone looking for "how much does Semrush cost per month" is close to purchasing. The conversion rate of long-tail words is on average 2.5 times higher than short-tail words.
2. Competition Is Dramatically Low
Large authority sites often focus on high volume short tail words. Long-tail words are the area where small and medium-sized sites have the highest ranking potential. Even a new site can rank on the first page of long-tail keywords within a few weeks with quality content.
3. Preparing for the Age of Voice Search and AI
Voice search queries are long and close to spoken language in nature: "Is there an SEO consultancy company open near me?" Google AI Overviews also prefers to answer long-tail queries.
How to Find Long-Tail Keywords
1. Google Autocomplete
Type your seed word into the Google search bar and note the suggested completions. By adding each letter from A to Z (SEO a, SEO b, SEO c...) you can get hundreds of long-tail ideas.
2. "Related Searches"
The "Related searches" section at the bottom of the SERP contains Google's rich search results based on real user queries.\n\nIt is a long-tail source.
3. People Also Ask
PAA boxes present long-tail words in direct question format. Clicking on each question opens new questions, creating an endless long-tail chain.
4. Google Search Console
Discover long-tail queries where your site is already getting impressions but low clicks in the "Performance" report in GSC. Convert your current visibility into clicks by producing content targeting these words.
5. Forum and Community Research
Reddit, Quora and industry forums contain real-language questions from users. Take these questions verbatim and answer them as FAQ or blog content.
Long-Tail Content Strategy
- Do not create a separate page for each long-tail word. Combine related long-tail words into one comprehensive piece of content (word clustering).
- Use a question-answer format. Long-tail words are usually in question format; Shape your H2/H3 headlines with these questions.
- Link to hub pages with internal links. Build topical authority by connecting your long-tail content to the main topic page (hub/pillar) with internal links.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should content be written for a word with a very low search volume?
Yes, if it has high conversion potential or is part of your topical authority strategy. Even zero volume words are searched by real users; tools cannot always capture this data.
What should be the content length for long-tail words?
Depends on search intent. A long-tail answering a simple question may require 500-800 words, while a long-tail addressing a complex topic may require 1500-2500 words. Decide by reviewing the available results on the SERP.
How to combine long-tail and pillar content strategy?
Create a comprehensive pillar of content for the main topic. Then, produce small long-tail focused content for subtopics and link them to the pillar page with internal links. This structure sends a topical authority signal to Google.
Start using our SEO tools today to discover long-tail keyword opportunities!