Keywords shape every SEO campaign, but choosing between long tail and short tail keywords often leaves many marketers wondering which type they should go after. While "shoes" might get millions of monthly searches, "women's waterproof hiking boots size 8" attracts far fewer, yet could bring more qualified buyers.
We show the real differences between these keyword types and help you pick the right mix for your business goals.
Short-tail keywords contain one to two words. Think "running shoes" or "protein powder." These broad terms typically have high search volumes but fierce competition. Going after them means battling established brands with substantial SEO budgets.
Long-tail keywords use three or more words, like "best trail running shoes for wide feet" or "organic vegan protein powder without stevia." They get fewer searches but connect with people who know exactly what they want.
Short-tail keywords can be more broad, while long-tail ones tend to be more specific. For the most part, short-tail keywords have high search volumes, meaning you’re competing with more companies for that coveted first-page ranking on Google.
Long-tail keywords might not get as many searches, but the user often has high intent. That’s to say, they’re searching for something specific and therefore are more likely to take a positive action when they find what they’re looking for.
Google's data shows the stark difference in numbers. "Shoes" gets 2.24 million monthly searches globally. But "women's waterproof hiking boots" receives just 18,100 searches. The competition levels tell an interesting story too: "shoes" has a difficulty score of 95/100 according to Ahrefs, while the longer phrase sits at 42/100.
A difficulty score estimates how hard it will be to rank on Google's first page for a keyword. Tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush calculate this on a scale of zero to 100, considering factors like the authority of currently ranking websites, their backlink profiles and content quality. Higher scores mean tougher ranking battles. The higher the score, the harder it is to rank for the search term.
US B2C retail Target, a major retailer, ranks well for "shoes" but converts more sales through specific phrases like "memory foam walking shoes for nurses." The broader term brings traffic, but longer phrases drive purchases.
B2B software HubSpot targets both "CRM" (673,000 monthly searches) and "small business CRM for sales teams" (2,900 searches). Their mix helps capture different stages of the buyer's journey.
It’s all well and good if you’re a major business with high domain authority, but what if you’re smaller, or even a local business? It’s much harder to rank for certain keywords, so you’ve got to be smart about it.
Take a neighbourhood pizza place. It’s highly unlikely it’ll compete for "pizza" against, say, Domino's. But "best deep dish pizza downtown Highbury" offers a fighting chance at ranking and reaching local customers when the heavyweights are taking up short-tail keywords.
Research reveals long-tail keywords convert at 2.5x the rate of short-tail terms. A photography business might get a thousand visitors from "camera" but see more sales from 100 visitors searching "Sony A7 III mirrorless camera review."
This is because people searching for “cameras” could really be looking for anything to do with a camera. Whereas, users looking for “Sony A7 III mirrorless camera review” will likely have an interest in purchasing the product and want to find more about it online.
Long-tail keywords often cost less in paid search campaigns. WordStream reports the average cost-per-click for single-word terms runs 50 to 75% higher than four-word phrases across industries.
Remember when we said someone looking for “cameras” online could have a whole bunch of reasons for doing so? Let’s look at some long tail and short tail keywords and what it could mean for search intent.
Voice search grows yearly, and these queries naturally form long-tail phrases. "Hey Siri, where's the nearest Thai restaurant open now" represents how people actually search on mobile devices. It’s highly unlikely people are saying “Hey Siri, Thai food”.
Not only that, but more people are searching for products, services and information using voice assistants, be it on their mobile or smart speakers, TVs, etc. Voice search is growing, and there has been a 50% increase worldwide in people asking smart voice assistants like Siri and Alexa questions.
There’s no beating around the bush. If you’re a new website, you’ll face an uphill battle with short-tail terms. Research shows that newer websites generally struggle against more established sites, and it’s recommended that you target long-tail terms instead.
Although frustrating, it makes sense. Established sites have spent years building authority, backlinks and content, making it extremely difficult for new sites to compete for broad, competitive terms.
So what should you do to make sure you’re giving yourself the best chance of ranking for keywords? Other than using Conturae (more on that in a bit), here’s a breakdown of when short-tail and long-tail keywords work best.
Short-tail keywords work best for:
Long-tail keywords suit:
Different metrics matter when tracking the performance of short-tail versus long-tail keywords, and each tells us something unique about their value to your business.
Short-tail keywords typically generate:
Long-tail keywords usually deliver:
These metrics help determine if your keyword strategy aligns with business goals. Monitor them monthly using the likes of Google Analytics, Google Search Console and SEMrush to refine your approach and balance resources between both keyword types.
The choice between long tail and short tail keywords
depends on your specific SEO goals. Focusing on broad visibility and brand awareness? Short-tail keywords work well, but expect high competition and possibly lower conversion rates.
Looking to attract highly targeted traffic more likely to convert? Long-tail keywords offer advantages. They're easier to rank for due to lower competition and match specific user intents better.
A balanced approach using both types often works best, capturing wide-ranging search queries while optimising for visibility and conversions.
Amazon uses this balanced approach masterfully. Their homepage targets "online shopping," but category pages optimise for "vintage style women's dresses" and similar specific terms. Product pages drill down even further with precise long-tail phrases.
Keyword strategies need seasonal updates—search behaviour changes dramatically during holidays, summer months and major events, and it’s important to adjust your targeting to match these shifts.
A typical holiday season short-tail keyword might be along the lines of … "gift ideas". On the other hand, long-tail is more likely to be around searches that include "unique Christmas gifts for teenage boys"
During the summer, a short-tail keyword might be "sunscreen", while a long-tail one is "best reef-safe sunscreen for sensitive skin"
Getting your technical SEO right makes a big difference in how search engines understand and rank your content. Here's how to optimise for both keyword types:
Title tags (50-60 characters):
Meta descriptions (150-160 characters):
URLs:
Google Search Console, which is Google's free tool for monitoring website search performance, data reveals which terms actually bring traffic. Track all types:
Doing so will help you spot opportunities to improve rankings, identify which keywords drive real business results and show where you might need to adjust your content strategy to better match search intent.
Limited resources mean choosing battles wisely. A new online store selling handmade jewellery might start with long-tail terms like "custom birthstone necklace for mom" before expanding to compete for shorter terms around "jewellery" later.
Keyword length varies by language. Japanese searches often use fewer characters but convey specific meaning. English long-tail phrases might need different approaches in other markets. Each region also has unique search habits and cultural preferences.
German users tend to be more direct in their searches, while Spanish speakers often include more descriptive terms. Local competition levels vary too—what works as a long-tail keyword in one market might face steep competition in another. Working with native speakers will help your keyword strategy match local search behaviour.
SEO strategies keep shifting with user behaviour and search technology. Long-tail keywords grow more important as voice search expands—people talk to Alexa and Siri using natural, conversational phrases rather than choppy keyword combinations. This makes longer, more specific keyword phrases crucial for capturing voice traffic.
Short-tail keywords stay relevant for brand visibility and broad reach, but face steep competition and often convert poorly compared to their longer counterparts. The real win comes from understanding user intent behind searches.
AI tools now help spot keyword opportunities that manual research might miss. They analyse search patterns and reveal valuable long-tail variations you wouldn't think to target. Plus, semantic search means Google understands related concepts better—you don't need exact keyword matches anymore.
Smart SEO strategies now balance both keyword types while focusing on comprehensive topic coverage. Creating content that answers real user questions matters more than ever, especially as search engines get better at understanding natural language.
Building an effective keyword strategy means understanding your market position, resources and goals. Start with long-tail terms for quick wins while gradually expanding into more competitive short-tail territory. Regular monitoring and adjustment will see to it that your chosen mix keeps delivering results.
And if you want a little help, talk to us. We build watertight keyword strategies ideal for your brand, whether short term or long term. Then our expert human writers pen the content with a little help of AI to make sure all the nuts and bolts are in the right place for high-end content that ranks for all the right keywords.
