Long-Tail Keywords: How to Find, Choose, and Use Them for Better SEO
Ranking on Google is not always about targeting the most popular keywords. In many cases, the greatest opportunities come from more specific searches that reveal exactly what someone needs.
A business targeting “web design” may compete against thousands of established websites. But a more focused search, such as “Shopify landing page designer for ecommerce brands,” can connect that business with an audience looking for a particular solution.
These searches are commonly known as long-tail keywords. Understanding how to find and use them can help businesses attract more relevant visitors, strengthen their search visibility, and create better opportunities for conversions.
What Are Long-Tail Keywords?
Long-tail keywords are search queries that receive relatively low search volumes compared with popular terms. They are often more specific and descriptive, although keyword length alone does not determine whether a query is long-tail.
For example, “SEO” is a broad keyword, while “SEO services for dental clinics in Sydney” targets a more defined audience and need.
The term long-tail comes from the distribution of keyword demand. A relatively small number of popular searches attract significant individual search volumes, while a much larger number of less frequently searched queries make up the long tail.
Because these keywords often address narrower needs, they can be valuable for businesses trying to reach customers beyond highly competitive, broad search terms.
Short-Tail vs. Long-Tail Keywords
Short-tail keywords usually describe broad topics, products, or services. Long-tail keywords often represent more specific interests, requirements, or questions.
| Short-Tail Keyword | Long-Tail Keyword |
|---|---|
| Web design | Web design for dental clinics in Sydney |
| CRM software | Best CRM for mortgage brokers in Australia |
| Running shoes | Waterproof running shoes for trail running |
| Shopify developer | Hire Shopify developer for custom product pages |
| Air conditioning | Ducted air conditioning installation cost Sydney |
Broad keywords can attract large audiences, but those visitors may have very different intentions. Specific searches can provide more context about what someone wants and which type of content would be useful.
However, not every long-tail keyword is easy to rank for, and not every specific query indicates purchase intent. Competition and search intent should always be evaluated separately. (See the 4 types of keywords in SEO.)
Why Long-Tail Keywords Matter for SEO
Long-tail keywords help businesses build visibility around specific customer needs rather than relying exclusively on competitive industry terms.
They Can Offer More Accessible Ranking Opportunities
Popular keywords often attract competition from established brands, major publishers, and high-authority websites. More specific searches may have fewer pages directly addressing the user’s exact requirements.
For example, ranking for “CRM software” can be difficult for a smaller business. Targeting a relevant topic such as “CRM with automated appointment reminders for dental clinics” may offer a more focused opportunity.
That does not guarantee an easier ranking. The quality of existing search results, competition, and your website’s ability to satisfy the query still matter.
They Can Attract More Relevant Visitors
A specific search often provides useful information about the customer’s needs. Someone searching for “best landing page builder” may be exploring the market, while “GoHighLevel landing page setup for mortgage brokers” identifies a more particular requirement.
This additional context helps businesses create content that addresses real problems and expectations.
They Can Support Better Conversion Opportunities
Long-tail keywords can attract visitors who are closer to making a decision, particularly when they contain commercial or transactional intent.
For instance, “emergency plumber in North Sydney” suggests a more immediate requirement than “plumbing tips.” A page that clearly explains availability, service areas, and contact options may be better positioned to generate enquiries.
The key is to connect search relevance with a useful website experience. Traffic becomes commercially valuable when visitors can understand the offer and take the next step easily.
They Can Build Broader Topic Visibility
Individual long-tail keywords may receive limited searches, but related queries can collectively represent substantial demand.
A single comprehensive article may answer several closely connected questions. This allows a website to cover a topic thoroughly without publishing dozens of near-identical pages.
How to Find Long-Tail Keywords
Finding useful long-tail keywords involves combining keyword research tools with an understanding of your audience, services, and customer questions.
1. Start With Your Core Services and Topics
Begin by listing the products, services, and problems most relevant to your business. These become your starting points, often called seed keywords.
For a digital agency, seed keywords might include SEO, landing pages, Shopify development, conversion rate optimisation, and CRM automation.
Expand them by adding customer types, industries, locations, problems, and specific requirements.
For example, “landing page design” could become “landing page design for mortgage brokers,” “high-converting Shopify landing pages,” or “landing page design for dental appointment bookings.”
These variations are useful because they reflect different customer needs rather than simply rearranging keywords.
2. Use Keyword Research Tools
Tools such as Semrush, Ahrefs, and Google Keyword Planner can help discover search queries related to a topic.
Enter a seed keyword and examine suggestions alongside metrics such as estimated search volume, keyword difficulty, and search intent.
For example, searching for “Shopify SEO” may reveal opportunities involving product descriptions, collection page optimisation, technical issues, or ecommerce keyword research.
Keyword metrics are estimates, not guarantees. A low difficulty score does not mean a page will automatically rank, and a low-volume keyword is not necessarily unimportant.
Prioritise keywords that match your services and audience before considering search volume.
3. Explore Google Autocomplete and Related Searches
Google’s autocomplete predictions can reveal ways people phrase searches as they type.
Start entering a broad keyword and experiment with relevant modifiers. For example, “CRM for” might lead you to investigate questions about CRM systems for real estate agents, dentists, consultants, and small businesses.
Related searches can provide additional directions to explore.
Autocomplete is useful for discovering language and topics, but its suggestions do not establish search volume or commercial value. Validate promising ideas through other research methods.
4. Review Google’s People Also Ask Questions
People Also Ask results can reveal follow-up questions connected to a search topic. These are useful for identifying informational needs and building helpful supporting sections within existing content.
For example, research around “Shopify conversion rate” might uncover questions about what a good conversion rate looks like, why customers abandon carts, and how checkout experience affects sales.
Rather than creating separate articles for every small variation, combine closely related questions into a comprehensive guide when the search intent supports it.
5. Analyse Competitor Keywords
Competitor research helps identify relevant topics that other businesses already cover.
Use SEO research tools to examine competitors’ organic keywords, ranking pages, and content gaps. Look for searches where competitors provide useful information but your website does not yet have a suitable page.
For example, a competing digital agency might rank for “WordPress vs GoHighLevel landing pages.” If that comparison is relevant to your audience, it could be an opportunity to publish a stronger, more practical guide.
The objective should be to offer additional value through original explanations, better examples, clearer comparisons, or relevant first-hand experience.
6. Use Google Search Console
Google Search Console can help uncover long-tail opportunities using searches that already bring impressions or clicks to your website.
Open the Performance report and review queries with relevant impressions, particularly those where your pages receive limited clicks or rank outside the leading results.
You may discover that an existing article attracts impressions for a specific question it only briefly addresses.
Improving that section, clarifying the answer, or adding a relevant internal link may be more efficient than producing an entirely new article.
Search Console does not expose every query, so its data should be combined with other research sources.
7. Research Customer Questions and Online Communities
Customers often describe their problems differently from marketers. Sales enquiries, support conversations, customer reviews, forums, and relevant Reddit discussions can reveal language that keyword tools might overlook.
An ecommerce business owner may not search for “checkout conversion optimisation.” Instead, they might ask, “Why do customers add products to their cart but not buy?”
Both questions address a related business problem, but the second reflects how someone may naturally describe their experience.
Turn recurring questions into content topics when they represent genuine audience needs.
How to Choose the Right Long-Tail Keywords
Finding a long list of keywords is only the beginning. The next step is deciding which opportunities deserve your time and resources.
A useful selection process considers four factors.
Search intent: Determine whether the user wants information, comparisons, a specific website, or an opportunity to take action. The content format should match that purpose.
Business relevance: A keyword should connect to the products, services, or expertise your business offers. High traffic has limited value if the audience is unlikely to need your solution.
Ranking opportunity: Review current search results and keyword difficulty estimates to understand the competition. Consider whether your website can provide content that genuinely deserves to compete.
Conversion potential: Evaluate whether the search could contribute to meaningful outcomes, such as relevant enquiries, appointment bookings, purchases, or newsletter subscriptions.
A long-tail keyword with modest search volume and strong business relevance may be more valuable than a popular keyword that attracts the wrong audience.
How to Use Long-Tail Keywords in Your Content
Once you identify suitable keywords, incorporate them naturally into pages that answer the underlying search intent.
Use the primary keyword in a descriptive page title and main heading when appropriate. Include related phrases within useful subheadings, explanations, and examples without repeating the same wording unnecessarily.
For example, an article targeting “how to improve Shopify product page conversions” could explain product imagery, descriptions, trust signals, mobile usability, shipping information, and calls to action.
These supporting topics help readers understand the complete problem instead of forcing the article to repeat a keyword.
Internal links can connect the guide to related resources, such as ecommerce CRO, A/B testing, and Shopify development services.
Google’s search guidance emphasises helpful, original content rather than keyword repetition. Write for readers first and use keywords to clarify what each page covers. A clear content marketing strategy keeps this organised.
Long-Tail Keywords and AI Search
Long-tail keyword research is also useful when planning content for conversational search experiences.
People may ask AI-powered tools detailed questions that include business context, product requirements, budget considerations, or specific problems.
For example, someone might ask, “Which CRM is suitable for a small Australian mortgage brokerage that needs automated appointment reminders?”
A useful article could address the underlying requirements by comparing features, integrations, costs, and operational considerations.
This approach can make content more useful across traditional search and AI-assisted discovery. However, matching conversational questions does not guarantee that an AI system will retrieve, cite, or recommend a particular page. (See how to rank in ChatGPT Search.)
The strongest approach remains clear structure, accurate information, and coverage of questions that matter to your audience.
How to Measure Long-Tail Keyword Performance
Ranking positions alone do not tell you whether a keyword strategy is producing meaningful results.
Use Google Search Console to review search impressions, clicks, average position, and changes in query visibility. Google Analytics can help assess how organic visitors interact with the website and whether they complete important actions.
For lead-generation businesses, useful outcomes might include qualified enquiries, consultation bookings, and submitted forms. Ecommerce businesses may focus on purchases, revenue, and conversion rates.
Review these results over time and refine your content based on what users search for and what they do after arriving.
Frequently Asked Questions About Long-Tail Keywords
What is an example of a long-tail keyword?
“Best CRM for small dental clinics in Australia” is an example of a specific search query. It describes the product category, intended audience, and location more precisely than a broad term such as “CRM.”
Are long-tail keywords easier to rank for?
Some long-tail keywords face less direct competition, but this is not always true. Their ranking difficulty depends on the existing results, relevance, and website competition.
How many words should a long-tail keyword contain?
There is no fixed word count. Long-tail keywords are primarily distinguished by relatively low search demand, and they often contain specific details.
Can long-tail keywords improve conversions?
They can help attract visitors with clearly defined needs, which may support higher-quality traffic and more relevant enquiries. Conversion performance still depends on search intent, the offer, and the website experience.
Should every long-tail keyword have its own page?
No. Closely related keywords with similar search intent can often be addressed on one comprehensive page. Separate pages are more appropriate when the searches represent genuinely different needs.
Final Thoughts
Long-tail keywords offer businesses an opportunity to move beyond broad rankings and focus on the specific needs of their audience.
The most effective strategy combines keyword research, search intent, competitive analysis, helpful content, and continuous performance measurement.
Rather than chasing every available keyword, prioritise the searches that connect your expertise with problems your customers genuinely want to solve.
At BrandUs, we approach SEO as part of a wider growth strategy, connecting relevant search traffic with user experience, landing page optimisation, and conversion rate optimisation.
Because the objective is not simply to attract more visitors. It is to attract the right visitors and create better opportunities for business growth.