What are long-tail keywords?

Long-tail keywords are super-specific phrases that people search for less often. But don’t be fooled by their low search volume! They can still lead to lots of conversions. These keywords tend to be a bit longer than your average search term, often made up of more than three words.

By super-specific it means they’re tailored to a particular niche. And even though they don’t have a huge search volume on their own, when you put them all together, they make up the majority of searches. In fact, Ahrefs found that 92% of keywords have a maximum of 10 searches per month. So, don’t underestimate the power of long-tail keywords, they can be your secret weapon!

With the advancements in natural language processing and voice search technology, long-tail keywords are becoming increasingly important in search engine optimization. Users are now more likely to use conversational phrases and questions when searching, which makes it crucial for websites to optimize for these long-tail keywords to rank higher in search engine results.

Therefore, SEOs should focus on identifying and incorporating long-tail keywords that match the user’s intent and natural language queries to stay relevant and competitive.

To give you a better idea of what long-tail keywords look like, here are some examples:

• “Best vegan restaurants in New York City”
• “How to train for a marathon as a beginner”
• “Affordable organic skincare products for sensitive skin”
• “Virtual interior design services for small apartments”
• “Top-rated gluten-free baking recipes for beginners”

Why are they important for SEO?

We have identified two main reasons why SEOs should focus on long-tail keywords:

• On one hand, long-tail keywords have less competition compared to broad keywords, making them easier to rank for.
• Moreover, long-tail keywords have proven to achieve higher conversion rates as the users who search for them are usually closer to making a purchase compared to those who search for generic terms. For instance, someone searching for “4-stroke motorcycle oil” is more likely to make a purchase compared to someone searching for “abdominal exercises” who is just seeking information and not necessarily looking to buy anything.

How to find long-tail keywords

Great! Now that we understand the significance of ranking for long-tail keywords, let’s dive into the best ways to conduct long-tail keyword research:

Google’s “Searches related to…” section

The Google Related Searches section, located below the Google SERP, can provide you with numerous long-tail keywords related to your query. To find these keywords, select one of the terms and conduct a search. Then, go back to the “Searches related to…” section and repeat the process until you have a substantial list of long-tail keywords to target.

Forums

For keyword research, forums are a valuable resource as they provide a platform for people to ask questions and get answers on a specific topic. If someone is asking a question on a forum, chances are there are others searching for the same information on Google.

To use forums for effective keyword research, it’s important to find one that your target audience typically frequents. If you’re not sure which one to use, try searching “forum + keyword” on Google to find relevant options.

AnswerThePublic

AnswerThePublic is a user-friendly tool that generates long-tail keywords based on questions related to a specific topic. Simply input a broad keyword and click on “Get questions,” and the tool will provide a list of frequently asked questions related to the topic, which can then be used to generate long-tail keywords.

Google’s autocompleting option

This is an effective and effortless method for finding long-tail keywords. Google provides the suggestions that you will see on the screen. By simply entering a broad keyword, you can see how the search engine completes it.

Additionally, long-tail keyword generators such as keywordtool.io or Ubersuggest can extract Google’s autocompleting data for you. Both tools are easy to use, just enter the first keyword and click on “search” to access a wide range of suggestions.

Google’s “People Also Ask”

This option in Google is an effective way to find long-tail keywords quickly and easily. Simply search for a term in Google, and once the search results appear, look for the “People Also Ask” boxes. In these boxes, you’ll find questions made by users that are related to the keyword you searched for. By clicking on the questions, you can reveal additional related questions, giving you a wealth of long-tail keyword ideas to work with.

Google Search Console

In the Google Search Console performance report, you can see which keywords your website is ranking for and their corresponding positions in the search results. This information can help you identify long-tail keywords that you may not have intentionally targeted, but are still bringing in traffic to your site. By analyzing this data, you can optimize your content to better target those keywords and improve your overall search rankings.

Soovle

Yes, that’s correct! Soove is a free tool that collects keyword suggestions from Amazon, YouTube, Wikipedia, and Ask.com. In this way, it allows you to discover terms that have hardly been exploited, which would be very difficult to find with other applications.

All you have to do is enter a broad keyword in the search field, for example, “juice.” And Soovle will automatically show you suggested results from different web pages.

Quora

Quora is a popular question-and-answer platform that can be a great resource for finding long-tail keywords. The platform allows users to ask questions on a wide range of topics, and the responses from other users can provide valuable insights into the language and phrasing that people use when searching for information related to those topics. By searching for keywords related to your business or industry on Quora, you can identify common questions and topics that people are interested in, which can help you find new long-tail keywords to target in your content.

Additionally, Quora’s search feature allows you to filter results by relevance, date, and other criteria, making it easy to find the most relevant and up-to-date information.

Google Trends

Undoubtedly, Google Trends stands out as a top-notch tool for conducting keyword research. Its ability to track the ebb and flow of interest in a given topic is particularly invaluable for assessing the viability of an SEO campaign. By analyzing whether search volume is rising or falling, Google Trends empowers users to make informed decisions about optimizing their content for maximum visibility.