Long Tail Vs Short Tail Keywords: Differences Explained

Short-tail keywords are the hunk or hunk-ette—charming, desirable, and popular but very hard to win over.

Long-tail keywords, on the other hand, are the glasses-clad, slightly unkept introverts—dark, tall, mysterious, and ready to commit to a long-term relationship.

Which one is right for your SEO strategy?

I’m here to help you swipe right on the perfect match.

What Are Long-Tail and Short-Tail Keywords? And What is the Difference?

Think of them like this:

• Short-tail keywords are broad, generic terms like “joggers,” “marketing,” or “coffee.” Everyone knows them, everyone wants them, but they’re also incredibly competitive. They’re typically considered to be 1-2 words in length.
• Long-tail keywords are the niche interests. They’re longer, more specific phrases like “best vegan running shoes,” “email marketing for small businesses,” or “organic fair trade mold-free coffee beans.” Long-tails are normally 3+ words in length.

So, which type of keyword is better? That’s like asking whether Lana Del Rey or Vampire Weekend is better (showing my age much?). It all depends…does your audience like pop or indie rock? Only you will know.

Why Should You Care? ‘Cause SEO, Duh

Okay, so we’ve established that long-tail keywords are like niche indie bands, and short-tail keywords are like chart-topping pop stars. But why should you even give two hoots?

It’s simple: the right keywords are the difference between crickets chirping on your website and a stampede of eager customers. Apples and oranges.

But choosing the right keywords isn’t as easy as picking your favorite song on Spotify. It’s about understanding the delicate dance between search volume, competition, and conversion potential.

Here, I’ll explain what I mean:

Search Volume vs. Specificity: The Goldilocks Conundrum

Short-tail keywords might seem like the obvious choice with their massive search volumes. But here’s the catch: they’re also fiercely competitive. You’re essentially battling it out with every other website vying for a piece of that sweet, sweet search traffic pie.

Long-tail keywords, on the other hand, might not have the same star power, but they offer something far more valuable: specificity. They attract a smaller, more targeted audience who are further along in the buying journey and more likely to convert.

It’s like the difference between casting a wide net and using a fishing spear—you might catch fewer fish, but they’ll be the ones you actually want.

Competition vs. Conversion Potential: The Tortoise and the Hare of SEO

Short-tail keywords are like the hare, sprinting towards the finish line but quickly running out of steam. They might bring in a ton of traffic, but if those visitors aren’t interested in what you’re selling (unless that’s eyes on ads), it’s all for nothing.

Long-tail keywords, like the tortoise, take a slower, more methodical approach. They might not attract as many visitors, but the ones they do attract are more likely to stick around, explore, and hit that “buy” button.

Use Cases: The Right Tool for the Right Job

Now, don’t get me wrong, don’t think I’m a doomer on our friend the short-tail keyword. Both short-tail and long-tail keywords have their place in your SEO. There’s no doubting that for a second. Just keep in mind that there’s the right tool for the right job.

• Short-tail keywords are great for building brand awareness and reaching a wider audience. They’re perfect for top-of-the-funnel content like blog posts and social media updates.
• Long-tail keywords are ideal for targeting specific customer segments and driving conversions. They’re perfect for product pages, landing pages, and bottom-of-the-funnel content.

So, which type of keywords should you be targeting? That depends on your goals and your target audience. But by understanding the use cases of each, you can craft a keyword strategy that delivers the results that all your hard work deserves.

Pros and Cons: Unmasking the Good, the Bad, and the Downright Ewww, Gross

Alright, time for a reality check. Both long-tail and short-tail keywords have their quirks and perks. It’s like choosing between avocado toast and a cronut – both delicious but totally different experiences.

To help you make an informed decision, let’s lay it all out in a brutally honest table:

The verdict?

There’s no clear winner here. It’s all about finding the right balance for your specific goals and audience.

If you’re a new brand looking to make a splash, some short-tail action might be the way to go. But if you’re after those juicy conversions, long-tail keywords are more bottom of funnel.

Finding Your Perfect Keyword Match: A Matchmaker’s Guide

Ain’t nothing to get but to get to it. Let’s find you some short and long-tail keywords.

How to Find Short-Tail Keywords

Here’s how to unearth short-tails:

1. First, put on your thinking cap and brainstorm a list of broad terms related to your products, services, or industry. This is your starting point. To show you what I mean, let’s run with my previous example of “joggers.” (I cheated and used Gemini to help me out. Be my guest and steal the prompt if you want.)
2. Next, fire up your favorite keyword research tool and start plugging in those brainstormed short-tail keywords. For this example, I’ll use Ahrefs.
3. From the Ahrefs dashboard, hit Keywords Explorer, enter your brainstormed keywords, and hit Search.
4. Okay, next, hit Matching terms, filter for Word count, and click the Show results button. To find short-term keywords, I filtered for results that were no longer than two words.
5. Once the results are in, you can either run with what you’ve found or, if there are too many results (very common with broad terms), add a few more filters and then export the results to a CSV file.

Also, don’t be shy about checking out what your competitors are ranking for. Head to the Competitive Analysis report, bang in your domain name, your competitors’ domain names, and filter the results till your heart’s content.

How to Find Long-Tail Keywords

Okay, long-tail keywords, how do we find them?

The process is basically the same, but instead of filtering for two-word results, we’ll filter for keywords that are three or more words in length. Here’s how:

1. Clear the filters from our last effort by clicking on the X.
2. Add a new filter for only results that contain three or more words and hit the Show results button.
3. And that’s it. Long-tail keywords for days. Filter away.

Instead of Ahrefs, you can also use another tool called LowFruits. It’s great for finding low-competition, long-tail keywords. Can recommend.

Crafting a Killer Keyword Strategy: It’s All About the Mix

Alright, enough with the brainstorming and filtering. Let’s talk strategy. Because, by now you well know that it’s not about picking a side—Team Short-Tail or Team Long-Tail. Nope. It’s about playing the field and strategically using both to create a killer keyword strategy.

Here’s how to strike the perfect balance:

The Foundation: Short-Tail Keywords

Sprinkle short-term keywords into your homepage, about page, and main category pages.

Just use them strategically. If you are a small, budding website, short-term keywords are good, but long-tail, with their low-competition personalities, are likely to bring you more glory.

For larger, established, high-authority sites, well, lucky you, aye. The world’s literally your oyster. Sure, the competition is hot, but don’t be afraid to throw your weight around. You might be surprised by which high-competition keywords you can rank for.

The Secret Sauce: Long-Tail Keywords

These are the spices that add flavor and depth to your content. They target specific user search intent and attract high-quality traffic that’s more likely to convert. Use them liberally in blog posts, product descriptions, and landing pages.

Both small websites will benefit from niche, long-tails. They’re much, much easier to rank for than broad terms, and, as I mentioned, they are closer to the bottom of the marketing funnel, meaning they are high-intent, and visitors who are searching for these terms are trigger-happy and super-ready to make a purchase.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Now, if you’ve at here and are thinking. “This all sounds great in theory, but how the heck do I actually implement this stuff?”

Well, fine reader, that’s exactly where we come in.

At Loganix, waiting in the wings to craft a custom content strategy that leverages both long-tail and short-tail keywords to maximize your website’s (or your clients’ website’s) visibility, traffic, and conversions.

🚀 Head over to our content strategy services page, and let’s transform you into a lead-generating machine. 🚀