What is a long-tail keyword?

A long-tail keyword is a search term made up of several words that extends a main keyword with adjectives or attributes. The name comes from the picture of a keyword with a long tail hanging off it. Because a query with a long-tail keyword is more precise, the results are more specific than for a search with the main keyword alone.

Long-tail keywords are more specialized, so they trade some search volume for a better chance of success. The spelling longtail keyword is common as well and means the same thing.

What does a search with a long-tail keyword look like?

An example: you are looking for a bike for your child.

Your first query in the search engine is probably “kids bike”. Your child, however, wants a bike in blue, so the next query very likely looks like this:

“blue kids bike”

And with that you have searched with a long-tail keyword and you get different results than before.

Long-tail keywords work well in local SEO too.

Where are the opportunities in long-tail keywords?

Long-tail keywords often carry a lower search volume than the main keyword, but the positions on the SERP are less contested as well.

That gives you a realistic chance of overtaking the competition on some terms, because many website owners optimize their content for main keywords only and not for long-tail keywords. Long-tail keywords also fit certain niches well. Always check the search volume of a long-tail keyword first, though.

Picking the right terms for a whole site is the first step of every project in our SEO services.