Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
The expression 'keyword' is a very common term that all of us have heard at least once, but, in case you are still a beginner in the field of SEO - i.e., not yet familiar with search engine optimization - you may be confused as to what it really means. A keyword can consist of a single word (short-tail keyword) or multiple words (long-tail keyword). These are very important, in SEO optimization, because they communicate to search engines the content present within the pages of a website.
Search Engine Optimization: Short Tail Keywords
Short-tailed keywords are those that are characterized by high search volume and, therefore, are potentially high traffic generators. These are much more general than their long-tail counterparts in that, generally, the former consist of only one or maximum two words.
Long Tail Keywords
The long-tail keywords, on the other hand, are search phrases consisting of at least three or more words. They are more precise and express a very specific search intent. That said, these tend to have a lower search volume or traffic potential than a short-tail keyword. Since long-tail keywords have lower search volume, this means that they also have low competitiveness.
On the other hand, however, the highly intentional nature of a long-tail keyword leads a user to search for specific information about a given product or service because he or she is already intent on finalizing a purchase. For this reason, in fact, these are valued for being able to generate high conversion rates.
Short-tailed vs. long-tailed keywords
An effective search engine optimization strategy will include the presence of both long-tail and short-tail keywords. Short-tail keywords can help you strengthen your authority on a topic in your industry while a long-tail one can help you generate more conversions.
Long-tail keywords have less competition for ranking on the SERP, and are, therefore, less expensive than short-tail keywords. Their higher conversion rates can also reduce the cost per lead, making this tactic very cost-effective in SEO. Keyword research is the foundation of a competitive content creation strategy. This will be focused on beating the competition and attracting qualified traffic to your website.
Finding Long Tail Keywords
By devising a solid keyword strategy, you will be able to attract customers on each end of the "sales funnel." At the top end are those who will be looking for more information about your product or service, and at the bottom end are those who are ready to make a purchase. This is why it is good to spend as much time as possible researching long-tail keywords. These are more efficient and generate high impact while keeping the competitive level low.
At this point you may be wondering what criteria you need to follow to find long-tail keywords, as they are a bit more complex to identify. A great starting point for finding long-tail keywords is simply to enter a short-tail keyword and see what search suggestions are provided by Google's autocomplete. An alternative is to see what common questions customers have about a given good or service and try to give them an answer.
Search Engine Optimization: A Final Verdict
In conclusion, both types of keywords have their advantages and disadvantages.
- Short-tailed keywords have high competition. it may take several years to successfully rank on the search results page. Once successful, however, it will be possible to obtain high volumes of traffic.
- As for long-tail keywords, these are great because they are much less competitive, you can find different ones, they express high purchase intent, and they are great for converting.
At this point, what is the best choice? If you want to become the benchmark for your area of expertise, you can make use of both short-tail and long-tail keywords. Obviously, you need to study each individual situation and examine your target industry for the purpose of devising your SEO strategy most appropriate and effective.
Would you like to learn more about SEO optimization? Would you like to know how to improve your search engine optimization strategy by using keywords in the right way? Book an SEO consultation!
