Long Tail vs Short Tail Keywords: What’s Their Difference?

If you want to have a strong search engine optimization strategy, you just can’t ignore the long tail vs short tail keywords differences. The sooner you get to know them, the sooner you can understand how to effectively incorporate each of them into your content. 

That would be a crime!

Short tail and long tail keywords shape your keyword targeting. They focus your efforts on broader or narrow subjects, which can impact your rankings, traffic, and conversions.

However, according to research by Backlinko, longer keywords usually have a higher CTR (click-through rate), and keywords that are long can get 1.76x more clicks than a one-word keyword.

So, understanding the nuances between long tail vs short tail keywords can help you optimize your content effectively for both broad visibility and targeted audience engagement.

In this article, we’ll explore the long tail vs short tail keywords differences, how to find and use them to nail your SEO strategy.

What are Long Tail Keywords?

To better understand the long tail vs short tail keywords differences, we will need to first explain what long tail keywords are.

Long tail keywords are specific phrases that typically contain three or more words. Unlike short tail keywords, which are broader and more general, long tail keywords aim to address specific user intents. 

According to recent research, 91.8% of all search queries are long keywords. That’s how popular they are. 

However, many businesses might still overlook their potential, which is why we’ve put together this guide to help you use the power of long tail keywords for your SEO strategy. 

Long Tail Keywords Examples

When discussing long tail vs short tail keywords differences, it should be mentioned that long tail keywords are characterized by their specificity and intent clarity.

Here are a few long tail keywords examples:

• “Top link building strategies for beginners” long tail keyword targets beginners in SEO, who want to learn about link building. 
• “Affordable link building services for small businesses” is a long tail keyword for small business owners and marketers seeking cost-effective link building solutions to boost their online visibility and organic traffic.
• Another example is “best link building tools for ecommerce sites,” which targets ecommerce website owners and digital marketers interested in tools and software that can help them get valuable backlinks to improve their search engine rankings.

For example, in this screenshot, “best content analysis tools” can be considered a long tail keyword.

We covered long tail keywords examples, now let’s do the same for short tail keywords. 

What are Short Tail Keywords?

A popular term, often found in the glossaries related to SEO, which needs to be clearly defined. 

So, let’s do it. 

Short tail keywords consist of one to three words and are characterized by their broad and general nature. They typically generate high search volumes but are also highly competitive. 

For instance, a search for “link building” includes a wide range of topics related to backlinks, link builders, etc. 

While these keywords can drive significant traffic, they often result in lower conversion rates due to their lack of specificity in addressing user intents. This is a key consideration when evaluating long tail vs short tail keywords for your SEO strategy.

So, when comparing long tail vs short tail keywords, the distinction lies within long tail keywords being more focused and specific. 

We now know what short tail keywords are, so let’s look at their examples.

Short Tail Keywords Examples

Our guide about long tail vs short tail keywords differences would not be complete without bringing examples.

Here are some examples of short tail keywords:

• “Link building” short tail keyword covers a broad spectrum of topics related to getting backlinks, including strategies, techniques, benefits, and challenges in various industries.
• “Backlinks” keyword includes all types of links pointing to a website, including organic, paid, and earned backlinks, without specifying the source or quality.
• “SEO services” keyword refers to various services offered for search engine optimization, made for businesses and professionals looking to improve their website’s visibility and search engine ranking through link building and other SEO practices.

For example, in this picture, “guest posting” is considered a short tail keyword.

While these short tail keywords examples can drive traffic and visibility, they require strong SEO strategies and significant effort to rank competitively due to their high competition levels.

In fact, let’s cover this more in-depth in the next section.

Long Tail vs Short Tail Keywords: Key Differences

It can’t be stressed enough that when it comes to search engine optimization (SEO), choosing the right keywords is necessary. So, let’s explore the long tail vs short tail keywords differences together to see how each helps in SEO. 

Short tail keywords generally have a high search volume, meaning many people search for these terms. Due to their broad nature, short tail keywords face intense competition, as many websites and businesses target these keywords, making it challenging to rank high in search engine results pages (SERPs). 

Additionally, users searching with short tail keywords may have varied intents, which can lead to a lower conversion rate. They might be in the early stages of their search and not ready to make a purchase or commit to a decision. 

Why’s that? Because they don’t know what they specifically want. Long tail keywords are the ones covering specific topics.

As shown in the picture below, these keywords generally have a lower search volume compared to short tail keywords. They also face less competition, so if you know how to rank for long tail keywords, you most likely won’t face a lot of competition. 

We have already mentioned what are short tail keywords, and they, on the other hand, have higher search volume and face more competition (see the picture below). This is one of the main differences between long tail and short tail keywords. 

Usually users searching with long tail keywords are usually further along in the decision-making process and are more likely to convert, because they specifically know what they are searching for. 

Understanding the difference between long tail and short tail keywords is crucial for creating an effective SEO strategy that drives high traffic.

So, now that you understand the distinction between long tail vs short tail keywords, let’s move on to the next.

Long Tail vs Short Tail Keywords: Which are Better for SEO?

Following  the ideas in the previous part, we can determine the effectiveness of short vs long tail keywords.

With short tail keywords, it’s quite possible to outrank the top pages. Although it may take months or even years to fine tune your content to rank in the top 10. 

So, even though long tail and short tail keywords are different in many ways, both have their place in an effective SEO strategy.

It really doesn’t matter which of these keyword types you prefer the most, just make sure to avoid keyword stuffing your content and you’ll be able to optimize it for search engines.

Overall, it is better to target both long tail keywords and short tail keywords to see optimal results.

How to Find Long Tail and Short Tail Keywords?

Here comes the question of how to find low competition long tail keywords, or short tail and long tail keywords in general. 

Finding the right balance of long tail vs short tail keywords requires a strategic approach and the use of various tools and techniques.

It’s neither an easy nor a hard task. You just need the right tools and resources at your hand to conduct your keyword research.  

Let’s start!

Use a Keyword Research Tool

One of the keyword research tools you can use is Ahrefs. 

You can analyze long tail and short tail keywords using this tool and get all the details about these keyword types. If you’re wondering exactly what is Ahrefs used for, one of its key functions is that you can analyze long-tail and short-tail keywords, to get all the details about these keyword types. You can use it to find long tail keywords with low SEO difficulty or the opposite. Whatever you are actively searching for. 

But before any keyword research you need to have primary or seed keywords in mind, which can help you with the researching process. 

For example, as shown below, if we log into Ahrefs and write down in the Keyword Explorer section the short keyword “backlinks,” we can see that it’s super hard to rank for it.

If you scroll down a bit you can get some other keyword ideas related to backlinks. 

You can sort these long tail keywords and short tail keywords by their keyword difficulty (KD). And if you go to the last pages, you will find long tail or short tail keywords examples with lower KD. So, it will be easier to, let’s say, find long tail keywords with low SEO difficulty. 

If you want to know how to find long tail keywords with Ahrefs, we can look at long tail keywords examples as well. 

For example, it will be pretty easy to rank with the keyword “how many backlinks are good,” because it has a lower KD and moderate search volume.

You can go ahead and play around with the Keyword Explorer and figure out how to find long tail keywords with Ahrefs to help you rank higher. 

Overall, you can use Ahrefs to learn the best ways on how to rank for long tail keywords or short tail keywords, find long tail keywords with low SEO difficulty or higher – it depends on what you’re looking for. Ahrefs can provide both, because it is a pretty easy tool that covers a lot.

Analyze competitor keywords

Another way to find long tail and short tail keywords is by analyzing competitors’ keywords. 

Ahrefs’ Site Explorer can help with this. 

What you need to do: 

If we look up HubSpot and follow the steps, we’ll get these keywords:

When searching for long tail and short tail keywords, consider looking at what other tools you can use and compare the results, because Ahrefs is one among many. However if you want to specifically know how to find long tail keywords with Ahrefs and how to rank for long tail keywords, then it’s the place to go. 

Moving on to the next option!

Use Google Autosuggest

Using Google Autosuggest is another way and probably one of the easiest ways to search and compare short vs long tail keywords.

Google Autosuggest is a Google Search feature that provides search term predictions.

For example, if you type “link building ” into the search bar, you will see something like this:

So, all you have to do is to begin by entering a keyword or phrase related to your topic into the Google search bar.

As you type, Google Autosuggest will start displaying popular search queries related to your initial keyword. These suggestions are based on actual user searches and indicate common short tail keywords.

Pay attention to the variations and additional long and short tail keywords that Google suggests. These are often broader and more generic terms that receive higher search volumes.

You can look for longer, more detailed suggestions that Google provides. These tend to be more specific and less competitive, making them perfect for long tail keyword targeting. 

Also, you can cluster the keywords, organizing related keywords in groups, which if implemented in your strategy, can make search engines understand your content more effectively. 

However, if you don’t like any of Google’s suggestions, you don’t need to go the extra mile to search for long tail vs short tail keywords. All you need to do is write down your topic on Google search and look through keywords used in related topics.

Look on Google’s People Also Ask

Google’s People Also Ask (PAA) feature is another great way for discovering related queries and helping in your keyword research. It can provide valuable insights into long tail vs short tail keywords that users are interested in.

Start by entering a broad keyword or phrase related to your topic into the Google search bar and look at the initial search results.

In the search results, you’ll find a section titled People Also Ask, which typically appears after the first few organic search results and before the Related Searches section.

In the example below, when we search “backlinks and their types” we get this:

Click on one of the questions in the PAA box that is related to what you’ve searched for. Google will expand this question to show a brief answer and additional related questions underneath.

Then, review the suggested questions to identify new long tail vs short tail keywords and variations that are related to your topic. 

You can use the questions in the PAA box to find a list of long tail keywords related to what you searched. These queries are typically more specific and reflect different aspects of the main topic.

So, if you use these insights effectively, you can find many long and short tail keywords related to the topic you’re interested in. 

However, keep in mind that if you want to know how to find low competition long tail keywords, PAA isn’t the place to go to, because it can’t give you any metrics.

Our next option though can provide you with these metrics, so let’s see!

Explore Google Trends 

You can also use Google Trends to find long tail and short tail keywords. 

How? Let’s see!

Begin by entering your primary keyword into Google Trends to analyze its search interest over time and click Explore. 

In the example below, we have searched for “link building.” 

You’ll see a graph showing the keyword’s popularity. It has a scale from 0-100. 

Obviously, 0 would indicate that the keyword is experiencing a very small amount of interest. 

If you look at the peaks of the graph shown below, you can see during what season that keyword had the most popularity. 

You can also apply filters for country, time range, category, and so on, to get more specific data.

If we filter it accordingly, we get these results (see below). 

You can also compare some keywords, using the Compare button. 

If we compare the “link building” keyword to “link building in SEO,” we get these results. This helps you see during what periods these keywords peaked, and refine your strategy accordingly (see the picture below).

This is a good option if you want to know how to find low competition long tail keywords or short tail keywords. 

Overall, by using Google Trends effectively, you can find valuable insights that can help improve your SEO efforts and drive targeted traffic to your website. 

However, it’s not our last option. We’ve got some more!

Explore Quora, Reddit, and similar platforms

Besides the platforms made for SEO and keyword research, you can use Reddit, Quora and other similar platforms to find long and short tail keywords.

Here’s how! 

So, firstly, Quora is a question-and-answer platform that allows users to ask questions, answer questions, and interact with other users’ content. 

You can search on Quora for topics related to your industry. Its search function allows you to find popular questions and discussions. 

When searching for different keyword types, pay attention to the language used in questions and answers. Identify keywords and phrases that are commonly used and relevant to your business.

For example, you can read through answers to see how users are responding to these questions. Phrases used in answers can provide insights into long tail keyword opportunities.

Search for the topic you wanna explore, and you’ll get some long tail keyword ideas from people’s discussions. 

As shown below, when you search for “link building,” you can see discussions around that topic, and get some keyword ideas from them.

Also, these popular discussions can provide insights into what topics are popular and what people are interested in learning more about.

You can follow discussions over time to identify trending topics and see what people are asking about. This can help in adjusting your SEO strategy accordingly.

What about Reddit?

Firstly, Reddit is a social news and discussion platform where registered members can submit content, such as text posts or direct links. It is organized into “subreddits,” which are individual communities centered around specific topics, interests, or themes.

Now that we got that out of the way, let’s see how it can help in your keyword research.

Start by finding relevant subreddits to your industry or the topic you’re writing a blog post about.

Look for popular threads and discussions within these subreddits. Similar to Quora, analyze the language used in posts and comments to identify long tail vs short tail keywords and topics of interest.

For example, you can look for discussions that have a high number of upvotes or comments. The titles and topics of these popular discussions often contain short tail keywords.

As shown in the picture, you can write the topic you wanna search for in the search bar and see what people are discussing. 

We have searched for “link building” in the search bar and you can see some discussions related to that topic. From here, you can choose some long tail keywords you can use.

For this, you can use Reddit’s “Popular” or Quora’s “Trending” sections to identify topics that are currently popular across the platform.

Overall, you can easily use the insights gained from Quora and Reddit to incorporate relevant keywords into your blog posts, articles, and address them in-depth on your own platform. 

However, this is not all. We’ve got one last option to help you find long tail and short keywords.

Use Google Keyword Planner

Using Google Keyword Planner is another way you can find keywords.

It can tell you what keywords people use in Google, how popular they are, and even how much they might cost if you want to advertise on them. 

But that’s a topic for another time. 

Now, let’s see some simple steps of how to use Google Keyword Planner for keywords: 

You’ll then have two options to choose from – Start with keywords or Start with a website (see below). 

If you choose Start with keywords, the tool will come up with keyword ideas based on the terms you enter. 

In the picture below, you can see some added keyword ideas.

If you choose Start with a website, it will scan your chosen domain and will come up with keyword ideas. 

Step 5: After choosing one of the options mentioned, choose your location and language. 

In this case we have chosen Start with keywords, put the language English and the location is the US. 

Step 6: Now click on Get Results. 

As shown below, you’ll see a variety of long and short keyword ideas with their metrics.

You can then go ahead and play around to refine your keyword list – exclude or include the ones that have a similar meaning, filter those that have or don’t have a certain term by clicking the Add filter button. 

For example, if you are an IT company and you see some keywords unrelated to your industry, you can exclude these terms.  

If you have used the Start with keywords option at first, you can click on the Refine Keywords section and find the keywords that commonly occur. 

Then, you can choose Expand all and check the boxes that are irrelevant to your industry (see the screenshot below).

Also, pay attention to search volumes. It can give you an idea of monthly searches for a keyword each month. This way, you can see how many views a certain keyword can give you.

Now that we have got this all covered, you know where to go next time if, for example, you want to know how to find low competition long tail keywords. 

Just use one of the ways we mentioned in this article, and you’re good!

Conclusion

As we’ve seen, mastering the use of long tail vs short tail keywords is essential for a comprehensive SEO strategy.

So, let’s wrap up the main points for long tail vs short tail keywords!

• Short tail keywords are brief and general terms, usually one to three words long. Long tail keywords are longer and more specific phrases, often containing four or more words.
• Short tail keywords examples are “guest posting,” “link building,” etc. A long tail example is “best project analysis tools,” and so on. 
• The difference between long tail and short tail keywords is that short keywords have high search volume and broad competition. Long keywords are highly specific, with less competition.
• Some ways to find short and long tail keywords are by using Keyword Research Tools, Google Autosuggest, analyzing competitors, looking at Google’s People Also Ask or Google Keyword Planner, exploring Reddit, Quora and other platforms. 

Knowing all this, which way do you prefer to find keywords?

FAQ about long tail vs short tail keywords