Keywords
Long-Tail Keyword Basics
Why longer, more specific phrases are usually the better place for small sites to start.
5 min read
What long tail actually means
A long-tail keyword is a longer, more specific phrase — usually three words or more — that describes a narrower need. 'Shoes' is a head term. 'Waterproof walking shoes for wide feet' is long tail.
The distinction is about specificity, not literally about length, though the two usually travel together.
Why specificity helps
A specific phrase tells you exactly what to write. There is no ambiguity about what the reader wants, which makes the content easier to write well and easier for the right reader to recognise as relevant.
Broad terms force you to write something that tries to serve everyone and therefore serves nobody particularly well.
One focus phrase per page
Choose one long-tail phrase as the focus of each page and let supporting terms appear naturally. Trying to target five phrases on one page produces content that reads like it was assembled from a spreadsheet.
Where to find them
Question phrasings, audience qualifiers, budget qualifiers, situation qualifiers and skill-level qualifiers all generate long tail from one seed. So does listening to how customers describe their problem in their own words.