Hey man! Doing good today? Me too! Do you feel like your content is shouting into a void? Well, it’s time to stop banging your head against the wall and start using the secret weapon that’s been hiding in plain sight. It’s not some complicated algorithm hack or a black-hat trick – it’s long-tail keywords.
This isn’t just another SEO buzzword; it’s a game-changer. In this post, we’ll dive deep into the world of long-tail keywords, revealing how they work, why they’re crucial, and most importantly, how to use them to dominate your niche and achieve the kind of search traffic you’ve always dreamed of. Forget the head terms, it’s time to embrace the power of the tail!
Long-Tail Keywords: The Unsung Heroes of Search
So, what exactly are these magical long-tail keywords? They’re not just about being lengthy phrases. Instead, they’re search queries with low individual search volume but an enormous total search demand as a group. Think of them as the underdogs of the keyword world.
The term “long-tail” comes from the “search demand curve”, a graph that shows all keywords by their search volumes. The most popular keywords sit at the “head” of the curve, while less popular keywords spread out along the “tail.” Here’s the crucial part: while individual long-tail keywords may seem insignificant, together they can generate a massive amount of traffic.
For example, let’s say you’re in the “cute cats” niche. The keyword “cute cats” might have a lot of search volume and be considered a head term. However, keywords like “the cutest cat in the world”, “cute cats playing with yarn” or “pictures of cute cats yawning” might seem less important since they are more specific and have a lower individual search volume. But when you add all the search volume of all the long tail keywords around “cute cats” they can amount to much more search volume than the head term.
It’s NOT About Length, It’s About Volume
It’s a common myth that long-tail keywords are long, multi-word phrases. While that’s often true, it’s not the defining characteristic. The real defining feature is the low individual search volume.
In fact, some shorter phrases may have lower search volume than longer ones. For example, the keyword “lose weight” could have a significantly lower search volume than the four and five-word phrases, and other long tail keywords that are related. A study of 1.4 billion keywords found that 9.3% of keywords with over one million monthly searches had 3 or more words.
The length of a keyword often correlates with specificity. More specific queries naturally have lower search volume, which is why they fall into the long-tail category.
Two Buckets of Long-Tail Gold: Which One Will Make You Rich?
Now, you might think all long-tail keywords are the same, but the truth is, they fall into two distinct buckets, each requiring a different approach.
Bucket #1: The Long Tail of Broad Topics – The Traffic Goldmine
These are broad topics with a huge number of relevant search queries, a few high-volume search terms, and a ton of long-tail variations. Think of a topic like “hairstyles”. A webpage on the topic of “hairstyles” can rank for thousands or tens of thousands of keywords. People are searching for similar things, but they’re using a massive variety of phrases with the same search intent.
For instance, “how to lose weight” is a perfect example of a broad topic with many long-tail variations. A single article about weight loss can rank for thousands of related keywords. In fact, it’s not unusual for 96% of a page’s keyword rankings to come from long tail keywords.
Here’s the kicker: When you rank high for a broad head term, you will almost always rank for thousands of other long-tail searches. So, if you pick topics with the largest total search traffic potential, you’re automatically going to capture all those long tail keywords too.
Don’t Waste Your Time Chasing Individual Long-Tail Keywords!
Here’s an important lesson: if Google treats a long-tail keyword as part of a larger topic, you shouldn’t target it with a separate piece of content. Google already knows it can rank one broad article for thousands of related queries. Writing individual articles for each long-tail variation is a complete waste of your time.
Many websites get a lot of search traffic by ranking for numerous keywords with one main article on a broad topic. For example, one Healthline article gets 490,000 search visitors each month, and they rank for a ton of keywords.
Finding Gold in Broad Topics
How do you find those broad topics with tons of long-tail keywords? Here’s the secret formula:
- Analyze the SERPs: Look at the search engine results pages (SERPs) for your target keywords. See how much traffic top-ranking pages are getting and how many keywords they rank for.
- Use Site Explorer: Use a tool like Ahrefs’ Site Explorer to find popular websites in your niche.
- Top Pages Report: Go to the “Top Pages” report to see the pages that get the most traffic.
- Sort by Keywords: Sort those results in descending order based on the number of keywords they rank for.
- Look for the Jackpot:
- The page ranks in the top 5 for its main keyword.
- It ranks for lots of keywords and gets a good amount of search traffic.
- It gets significantly more traffic than expected based on the main keyword’s search volume.
For example, in the health niche, an article on “bumps on skin” might get over 100,000 visitors, even though the top keyword has a search volume of only 8,400. That’s the power of the long tail!
Important Note: Check the number of referring domains a page has. This is an indication of how many links you will need to be competitive in search.
Why Should You Care About Broad Long-Tail Topics?
By targeting topics with more long-tail keywords, you generate far more organic traffic than the main keyword’s search volume suggests. This is because you will be ranking for a lot of long-tail variations. These types of topics are perfect for websites that have a history of ranking for head terms because then they will have an easier time ranking for all those long tail variations.
Bucket #2: Topical Long-Tail Keywords – The Underdog’s Advantage
These are keywords that represent individual, focused topics, not parts of larger themes. For example, “keyword cannibalization” is a topical long-tail keyword. It doesn’t fall under a larger topic and the long tail keywords within it happen to be smaller than broad topics.
The search volumes for topical long-tail keywords are much lower than the “fat head” keywords. However, the competition is much weaker. This means that you have a better chance at ranking for them and seeing results faster than trying to compete with the big players.
The power of these keywords is in their cumulative effect. Ranking for 20 to 50 of these can generate significant and highly relevant traffic. For example, if you rank for 20 pages that generate 70 monthly search visitors each, you would get 1,400 monthly search visitors.
For example, “how to help my husband lose weight” is a topical long-tail keyword with a search volume of 60. The top ranking page gets 76 search visitors a month, and there are zero referring domains pointing to that page. That’s a sign of a very low competition keyword that would be easy to rank for.
How to Find These Hidden Gems?
- Modifier Keywords: Use modifier keywords within larger topics. For example, for “black shoes,” you can use an “include” feature and add “with” to find specific keywords like “black shoes with navy suit”.
- Location-Based Keywords: Add locations to product or service keywords. For “rent a truck”, try “rent a truck in [city name]”. Even though individual searches may be low, the cumulative effect can be significant, and many of these can have commercial value.
- Question Keywords: Target questions related to a topic. Use the question report in a keyword tool to find questions people are asking about your topic. Then, you can create an FAQ section or blog content around these questions.
Topical Long-Tail Keywords: Perfect for Newbies and Underdogs
These types of long-tail keywords are ideal for new websites that haven’t built an authoritative backlink profile yet. You can get traction faster by targeting low-competition keywords. Once your site has established authority, you can move on to the broader topics.
The Shocking Truth About Search Queries
Here’s the harsh truth: 96.54% of all search queries in the US have less than 50 searches per month. If you’re neglecting long-tail keywords, you’re missing out on the vast majority of searches that happen daily.
Conclusion
By understanding the two types of long-tail keywords, you can tailor your content strategy and get ahead of the SEO competition. Whether you’re targeting the broad long-tail or the topical long-tail, the key is to analyze the SERPs and look for those opportunities where you can rank for multiple keywords and drive a ton of traffic to your site.
So stop being a slave to the “head” of the curve, and dive headfirst into the long tail! Use the tips and tricks you learned here to start grabbing that sweet, sweet, long-tail traffic.
FAQs
Are long-tail keywords just longer versions of regular keywords? Not necessarily. While they are often longer phrases, the defining characteristic of a long-tail keyword is that it has a low individual search volume.
Should I create individual pages for every long-tail keyword? It depends. For broad topics, Google tends to rank one broad page for many related long-tail variations. You don’t need to create individual pages for each of these long-tail keywords. Instead, aim to rank high for the head term and you’ll also rank for the long tail variations. However, for topical long-tail keywords, you will need to create content specifically for each keyword to target each of these specific topics.
Is it worth targeting long-tail keywords if they have such low search volume? Absolutely! While individual long-tail keywords may have low search volume, the cumulative effect of ranking for many of them can result in a lot of traffic. Additionally, long-tail keywords often have lower competition, which can make them easier to rank for.