Long Tail vs Short Tail Keywords: What’s the Difference?
Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2025 4:17 am
They are aimed at a broad audience and cover a variety of topics.
Examples of short-tail keywords are terms like " shoes ," " coffee ," or " marketing ."
Due to their general nature, these keywords tend to have high search volumes and are often very competitive.
For example, the search volume for “ best running shoes for flat feet ” is around 18,000 monthly searches, while the monthly volume for the short form “ running shoes ” is more than 300k and higher competition.
Search volume for running shoes
Compared to long-tail keywords, short-tail keywords are great for attracting large amounts of traffic.
However, because they are so general, they often lead to lower conversion rates compared to long-tail advertising database keywords.
This is because users searching for short keywords may have different intentions and may not always be ready to make a purchase or perform a specific action.
While short tail keywords can increase visibility and drive traffic to your site, they should be complemented with long tail keywords to ensure you also capture more targeted and conversion-ready audiences.
The main differences between "long tail" and "short tail" [keywords] are:
Length : Long-tail keywords are typically longer and consist of three or more words, while short-tail keywords are shorter and usually consist of one or two words.
Specificity : Long-tail keywords are more specific and detail-oriented, targeting niche audiences. Short-tail keywords are broad and general, appealing to a wider audience.
Search volume : Long-tail keywords have lower search volumes but higher conversion rates due to their specific nature. Short-tail keywords have higher search volumes but lower conversion rates.
Competition : Long-tail keywords have less competition in search engine results compared to short-tail keywords, which are very competitive.
Examples of short-tail keywords are terms like " shoes ," " coffee ," or " marketing ."
Due to their general nature, these keywords tend to have high search volumes and are often very competitive.
For example, the search volume for “ best running shoes for flat feet ” is around 18,000 monthly searches, while the monthly volume for the short form “ running shoes ” is more than 300k and higher competition.
Search volume for running shoes
Compared to long-tail keywords, short-tail keywords are great for attracting large amounts of traffic.
However, because they are so general, they often lead to lower conversion rates compared to long-tail advertising database keywords.
This is because users searching for short keywords may have different intentions and may not always be ready to make a purchase or perform a specific action.
While short tail keywords can increase visibility and drive traffic to your site, they should be complemented with long tail keywords to ensure you also capture more targeted and conversion-ready audiences.
The main differences between "long tail" and "short tail" [keywords] are:
Length : Long-tail keywords are typically longer and consist of three or more words, while short-tail keywords are shorter and usually consist of one or two words.
Specificity : Long-tail keywords are more specific and detail-oriented, targeting niche audiences. Short-tail keywords are broad and general, appealing to a wider audience.
Search volume : Long-tail keywords have lower search volumes but higher conversion rates due to their specific nature. Short-tail keywords have higher search volumes but lower conversion rates.
Competition : Long-tail keywords have less competition in search engine results compared to short-tail keywords, which are very competitive.