Answered by
Oliver Hall
In Search Engine Optimization (SEO), both long tail keywords and short tail keywords play crucial roles, but they serve different purposes.
Short Tail Keywords
Short tail keywords are search phrases with only one or two words. They are often very broad and vague. An example could be "cars" or "electric cars". The advantage of using short tail keywords is that they have a high search volume which means they can potentially bring a lot of traffic to your website. However, the competition for these keywords is usually very high, making it difficult for your content to rank on the first page of search engine results if your website doesn't already have high authority.
Long Tail Keywords
Long tail keywords, on the other hand, are longer phrases usually three to five words long. They are much more specific than short tail keywords. An example might be "electric cars with best mileage" or "best family electric cars 2023". These types of keywords typically have lower search volumes, but they tend to attract more targeted traffic, often resulting in higher conversion rates because users who search long tail keywords often know exactly what they're looking for. The competition is also less intense for long tail keywords, so newer websites or those with lower authority have a better chance of ranking for these terms.
Which should you use?
The choice between long tail keywords and short tail keywords depends on your website's authority, your business model, and your SEO strategy. If you are a new site or a niche business, focusing on long tail keywords might help you get more targeted traffic and rank faster. Meanwhile, if you run an established site with high authority, you may be able to compete for short tail keywords.
However, a balanced approach often works best. A mix of long tail and short tail keywords can help drive both immediate and long-term traffic to your website.