Short vs. Long-Tail Keywords: Which Drives More Website Traffic?

Short-Tail Keywords vs. Long-Tail Keywords

An Easy Way to Find the Right Keywords

Both short-tail and long-tail keywords have a place in search engine optimization. The key is understanding the difference.

Short-Tail Keywords are typically made up of no more than three or four words. These keywords are very general and are used more often in searches than long-tail keywords. Typically, the goal of a person using a short-tail keyword is to find general information. They probably aren’t exactly sure what they’re looking for yet. Examples of short-tail keywords are “buy new TV,” “moisturizer,” or “electric bikes.”

The most significant advantage of short-tail keywords is they are the most commonly used words in search engines, which means a higher volume of search results. For example, when you type “moisturizer” into the Google search, you get about 219,000,000 results (keep that number in mind when we discuss short-tail keywords).

However, there is a lot of competition for short-tail keywords, making it harder for small to medium-sized businesses to rank high. Another disadvantage of short-tail keywords is a lower conversion rate. Because these queries are so general, you’ll get more people to your website whose intent may not have been related to your product or service.

Long-tail keywords are three words or more and are much more specific. Someone using a long-tail keyword probably has a very specific goal. Examples of long-tail keywords include…

• The best 4K, 65”, curved, LED, LCD TV
• facial moisturizer for acne-prone skin
• Why should I buy an electric bike?

Long-tail keywords typically result in fewer results. For example, when I type in “the best facial moisturizer for acne-prone skin” into Google search, I get 4,980,000 results (as compared to 219,000,000 results for just “moisturizer”). Although long-tail keyword searches result in fewer results, they’re also less competitive and more targeted. People who search using long-tail keywords typically have a particular goal in mind, which usually results in higher conversion rates than short-tail keywords.

As we said, both short-tail and long-tail keywords have a place in just about any SEO strategy, but how to choose the right keywords can be more challenging. Finding the keywords that drive more targeted traffic to your website at a lower cost requires an analysis of statistics, understanding what search engines are looking for, and a little bit of gut instinct. You could say that it’s part science and part art.

For years, PMI has been helping small to medium-sized businesses find the right keywords to drive targeted traffic to their website, and providing SEO programs to fit most any budget.

So, give us a call today at 484-297-6395 or contact us online.