Answered by
Oliver Hall
Long tail keywords are phrases that are more specific and usually longer than commonly searched for keywords. While they get less search traffic, they often have a higher conversion value, as they're more specific.
To answer the question, "Are long tail keywords better for SEO?", it will depend on your goals. If you're looking for high volume of traffic regardless of relevance, then popular, shorter keywords may be beneficial. But if you're aiming for targeted, relevant traffic that's likely to convert, then yes, long tail keywords can be better for SEO. Here's why:
Less Competition: Because they're more specific, there's typically less competition for long tail keywords. This makes it easier for your content to rank well in search engines.
Higher Conversion Rates: As mentioned earlier, the specificity of long tail keywords means that people who find your website through them are more likely to convert, because they're looking for exactly what you're offering.
Relevance to Voice Search: With the rise of voice-activated technologies like Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant, more people are using conversational, long tail phrases to search online.
Here's an example of how you might use a long tail keyword in your SEO strategy:
Let's say you run a pet store and want to rank for 'dog food.' That's a highly competitive keyword. A long tail alternative could be 'grain free small breed dog food.' Even though it has lower search volume, someone searching for it is likely very interested in buying that specific product, making them a high-value visitor to your site.