What Are Longtail Keywords and How to Use Them

I've been ranking pages for longtail keywords since the 2010's, and they're still the easiest way to get organic traffic if you're working with a newer site or limited authority.

Here's why they work: while everyone fights over "running shoes" with 500,000 monthly searches, you can rank for "best running shoes for flat feet under $100" with way less competition and people who actually want to buy.

In this guide, I'll show you exactly what longtail keywords are, how to find them using free tools, and how to rank for them. You'll also see why they convert better than broad keywords and how to build your seo strategy around them.

What are LongTail Keywords?

Longtail keywords are simply keywords that are more specific than the average keyword. Long tail keywords are search phrases with longer word counts. For example, instead of just "shoes", a longtail keyword might be "women's size 8 black running shoes".

While they may get less traffic than general keywords, longtail keywords can be a great way to target niche audiences and get more qualified leads. That's because people who use longtail keywords are usually further along in their buyer's journey and have a higher purchase intent.

In other words, if someone is searching for "women's size 8 black running shoes", they're probably ready to buy! And that's exactly the kind of customer you want, right?

That's why part of your marketing strategy should include a focus on long tail keywords. This should answer the question - Are long tail keywords important for SEO? You betcha! 😉

LongTail Keyword Examples

Some other examples of long-tail keywords are:

As you can see, these keywords are much more specific than just "shoes or pumpkin carving". These are what are referred to as head keywords that are more broad, general, and harder to rank for. Longtail keywords are easier to rank for and that's what makes them so valuable.

I feel like the best longtail keywords come from real customer questions. If someone emails you asking "what's the best way to remove coffee stains from white shirts," that's a longtail keyword you should write content for.

It should be part of everyone's SEO strategy.

Why Are Longtail Searches Valuable?

When people search for something online, they usually start with a general keyword or phrase. 

For example, if they're looking for information on the best way to reduce stress, they might search for "stress relief." However, this type of broad search can produce a lot of results with very high search volume that aren't necessarily relevant to what the person is looking for. This is where long-tail searches come in.

A long tail search is a more specific search query that is less likely to be used by other people. For example, rather than searching for "stress relief," someone might use a long-tail search like "ways to reduce stress for working mothers."

Long-tail searches are valuable because they tend to be more specific, higher qualified search traffic, and therefore more likely to produce relevant results.

In addition, they can also help you to target a specific audience with your content. For example, if you know that your target audience is working mothers, you can use long-tail searches to make sure that your content comes up when they're looking for information on reducing stress. 

Here is the search demand curve using the keyword "salad dressing". Note how the long tail variation is used. You can see search volume drops the more specific the term is. However, as explained, this is not a bad thing. It's because it's much more targeted.

How to Find Long Tail Keywords?

Now that we've answered the question "what are long-tail keywords," it's time to move on to the next question: how do you find them?

The best way to find long-tail keywords is to use a keyword research tool. There are a number of different keyword research tools available, but a lot of them are paid. A very inexpensive and great tool I use a lot is Keywords Everywhere.  An expensive (but great) tool is "Ahrefs". Both of these will give you a ton of longtail keyword suggestions.

Here is an example on how to find longtail keywords using ahrefs. I typed in the keyword "boat anchor" in the keywords explorer section. When you click on "matching terms" you will get a list. This is a very small sample size but you can see that you'll get variations of the main keyword that are longtail. 

You can see how "boat anchor" has a search volume of 13K, while "boat anchor size chart" (which is a longtail version of boat anchor) only has 1K searches. 

You can also see how "electric boat anchor" has even less, but the Keyword Difficulty to rank is less.

You can use free tools to find longtail keywords. My favorite is the Google Keyword Planner. This tool is free to use and can be accessed by anyone with a Google account.

To use Google Keyword Planner, simply enter a general keyword or phrase into the search bar. For example, if you're looking for long-tail keywords related to stress relief, you might enter "stress relief" into the search bar. Once you hit enter, you'll see a list of related keywords.

To find long-tail keywords, simply scroll down the list and look for keywords that are specific and relevant to your topic. In our example, some of the long-tail keywords we might find are "ways to reduce stress for working mothers," "natural stress relief methods," and "stress relief tips for busy moms."

I also really like Keywords Everywhere. It's very cheap and "practically" free. I think I spent no more than $10 using this tool last year. You get a ton of searches on the cheap.

Here's an example using Keywords Everywhere. I typed in the search term Golf Clubs. This is what came up:

If you have a golf site, just look at all the longtail keywords you can write articles on and rank for.

You can also find longtail keywords at the bottom of Google in the "related searches" section. These are pretty limited, but you can get an idea on the most popular terms related to the main one.

Here are some more tips:

Look at your existing content: Another great way to come up with ideas for long-tail keywords is to look at your existing content. See what topics you've already covered and look for ways to narrow down those topics even further.

Think like your customer: When you're trying to come up with ideas for long-tail keywords, it's important to think like your customer. What would they be searching for if they were looking for your product or service?

Ask your customers/readers: One of the best ways to come up with ideas for long-tail keywords is to simply ask your customers. See what terms they use when talking about your business, and use those as potential keywords.

Generally, longtail keywords are longer than 3 words. That's how you can identify them.

Once you've found a few potential long tail keywords, it's time to test them out!

How to Rank for Longtail Keywords?

Just like with any other keyword, you need to put in the work if you want to rank for long-tail keywords. Here are some tips on how to do that:

Create high-quality content: This is always the first step. You can't rank for a keyword if you don't have content that's relevant to it. So, before you even start thinking about ranking for a particular keyword, make sure you have great content that's relevant to it and include long tail keyword phrases.

Do your research: Before you start creating content, it's important to do your research and understand what people are actually searching for. That way, you can create content that's tailored to their needs and more likely to rank well.

Optimize your title and meta data: Once you have your content, it's important to make sure that it's optimized for the keyword you're targeting. That means including the keyword in your title and making sure that your metadata is accurate and relevant.

Promote your content: Just creating great content isn't enough. You also need to promote it if you want people to see it. There are a number of ways to do this, but some of the most effective include social media, email marketing, and guest blogging.

Monitor your progress: Finally, once you've done all of the above, it's important to monitor your progress and see how well you're ranking for the keyword. This will give you an idea of what's working and what's not, and allow you to adjust your strategy accordingly.

The Two Types of Long-Tail Keywords

No long tail keyword is the same. Some represent unique search queries and others are simply lesser-known variations.

The former are called topical longtail keywords, while the last is referred to in terms of longtail keywords. The main difference between the two is that topical keywords are more specific while longtail keywords are simply longer versions of popular search terms.

Examples of Topical Long-Tail Keywords:

Longtail Keywords: These are simply longer versions of popular keywords. They're not as specific as topical keywords, but they can still be useful in getting your content seen by more people.

Examples:

See the difference?

Why Do Longtail Keywords Boost Traffic and Conversions?

Longtail keywords boost traffic and conversions because you're targeting exactly what the customer is looking for instead of hoping they find you in a sea of broad results.

When your article matches the search query precisely, Google rewards you with better rankings. Search intent is a major ranking factor, and longtail keywords make it easier to nail that intent. Someone searching for "best drip coffee maker under 50 dollars" wants a specific buying guide with products in that price range. If your page delivers exactly that, you'll rank higher than generic coffee maker pages.

The competition factor is huge too. When you target a more specific keyword, fewer pages are fighting for that same phrase. This gives you a much better chance to rank in the search engines, which leads to more traffic and more conversions.

I've seen this play out on my own site countless times. Pages targeting broad keywords like "affiliate marketing" barely move in the rankings because there are thousands of high-authority sites dominating those terms. But pages targeting "how to use affiliate links on Instagram without followers" climb to page one within weeks because almost nobody else is targeting that specific query.

The conversion rate difference is what makes longtail keywords worth the effort even when the search volume looks tiny. You'd rather have 50 visitors who convert at 10% than 500 visitors who convert at 1%. The math works out the same, but longtail traffic converts better because those people already know what they want.

What Makes Longtail Keywords So Great?

Longtail keywords are great because they bring you more qualified traffic with less effort than trying to rank for competitive head keywords.

The specificity is the biggest advantage. When you target a longtail keyword, you're attracting people who are looking for exactly what you're offering. They're not browsing or researching anymore. They know their problem and they're searching for the solution. That means they're more likely to click your link, read your content, and take action.

Lower competition is the second major benefit. Fewer sites are targeting "best yoga mat for bad knees under $40" compared to just "yoga mat." That gives you a realistic shot at ranking on page one even if your domain authority isn't massive yet. You don't need hundreds of backlinks to compete.

I feel like the conversion rate is what makes longtail keywords worth targeting even when the numbers look small. People who use longtail search terms are further along in their buyer's journey. They've already done the broad research. Now they're looking for specific recommendations or solutions. That's why longtail traffic converts at a higher rate than head keyword traffic.

You'll also make more money from longtail keywords if you're running an affiliate site or selling products. Those qualified visitors are more likely to click your affiliate links and actually make purchases. I'd rather have 100 targeted visitors who convert at 5% than 1,000 random visitors who convert at 0.5%.

What Are the SEO Benefits of Longtail Keywords?

Longtail keywords help you rank for more specific and relevant searches, which leads to better traffic quality and higher conversion rates across your entire site.

The first benefit is that you'll actually rank instead of sitting on page five forever. There's less competition for longtail keywords, which means it's easier to break into the top search results even if your domain authority is low. I've ranked brand new sites for longtail keywords within weeks, while those same sites would take months or years to rank for head keywords.

The conversion rate advantage is real. Longtail keywords bring you people who are ready to take action instead of casual browsers. They're qualified leads who know what they want, and that translates directly into more sales, more email signups, or whatever goal you're tracking.

You'll also generate more organic traffic from Google over time because you can target hundreds of longtail keywords instead of fighting over ten competitive head terms. Each longtail keyword might only bring you 50 or 100 visitors per month, but stack up 50 of those and you're looking at thousands of monthly visitors.

I think the money factor matters if you're running an affiliate site. More traffic plus higher conversion rates means more affiliate link clicks and more commissions. The exposure compounds because each piece of longtail content you publish creates another opportunity for revenue.

If your site has low authority or you're just starting out, longtail keywords are basically your only realistic option. You're not going to outrank established sites for competitive short-tail keywords, but you can absolutely dominate longtail variations that those big sites haven't bothered targeting yet.

Want to Learn More About SEO and Affiliate Marketing?

If you're using longtail keywords to build an affiliate site, check out my guide on how to make money with affiliate marketing or explore the best affiliate marketing courses to learn the full strategy.

Conclusion

Longtail keywords are still one of the best ways to get organic traffic in 2026, especially if you're working with a newer site or competing in a crowded niche.

The strategy is simple: target specific search phrases with three or more words, create content that directly answers what people are searching for, and watch your rankings climb faster than they ever would with broad head keywords. You'll get less traffic per keyword, but the traffic you do get will be more qualified and more likely to convert.

I think the biggest mistake people make is ignoring longtail keywords because the search volume looks small. They chase after competitive head terms with 50,000 monthly searches instead of targeting ten longtail variations with 500 searches each. Those ten longtail pages will rank faster, convert better, and bring you more revenue in the long run.

Start by using free tools like Google Keyword Planner or Keywords Everywhere to find longtail variations in your niche. Create one piece of content around each topical longtail keyword, optimize your title and meta description, and promote it to get some initial traction. Then monitor your rankings and adjust your strategy based on what's working.

Frequently Asked Questions About Longtail Keywords

How long should a longtail keyword be?

Most longtail keywords are three words or longer, but there's no strict rule about maximum length.

I've seen longtail keywords with four, five, or even seven words that still get decent search volume. The length matters less than the specificity. "Best running shoes" is three words but it's not really a longtail keyword because it's still too broad. "Best running shoes for flat feet under $100" is eight words and much more specific, which makes it a true longtail keyword.

Are longtail keywords better than short keywords?

Longtail keywords are better for most sites because they're easier to rank for and they convert at higher rates, but you shouldn't ignore short keywords entirely.

Short head keywords bring massive traffic if you can rank for them, but the competition is brutal unless you have high domain authority. I think the smart strategy is to target longtail keywords first to build traffic and authority, then gradually go after more competitive short keywords as your site grows.

How many longtail keywords should I target per page?

You should target one primary longtail keyword per page, plus several related supporting keywords that fit naturally into the content.

I don't believe in the old-school approach of creating separate pages for every tiny keyword variation. If someone searches for "best coffee maker under $100" or "top-rated coffee makers under 100 dollars," they want the same content. One well-optimized page can rank for dozens of related longtail variations if you write comprehensive content that covers the topic thoroughly.

Can I rank for multiple longtail keywords on one page?

Yes, one page can absolutely rank for multiple longtail keywords as long as they all share the same search intent.

Google is smart enough to understand that "how to start a blog," "how to create a blog," and "starting a blog tutorial" are all asking for the same information. You don't need separate pages for each variation. Just write one comprehensive guide that naturally includes these phrases, and you'll rank for all of them. I've had single pages rank for 20 or 30 different longtail variations.

How long does it take to rank for longtail keywords?

Most sites start seeing movement for longtail keywords within four to eight weeks if the content is good and there's minimal competition.

I've had some longtail pages hit page one within two weeks, while others took three or four months. It depends on your domain authority, how competitive the keyword is, and how well your content matches search intent. The good news is that longtail keywords almost always rank faster than head keywords because fewer sites are competing for them.

Should I use the exact longtail keyword phrase in my content?

You should include your target longtail keyword naturally in your content, but don't force exact match phrases everywhere if they sound awkward.

Google understands semantic variations now, so "best coffee maker under 100 dollars" and "top coffee makers under $100" are treated as the same thing. I feel like the best approach is to include the exact phrase in your title tag and maybe once in your content, then use natural variations throughout the rest of the page. This reads better for humans and still works for SEO.