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Long tail keywords
Long tail keywords are specific phrases with lower competition and stronger buyer intent. Here is how to find them and rank for them.
Jessica Ehrhardt··4 min read
A long tail keyword chart
What is a long tail keyword?
Long tail keywords are specific phrases of three or more words. Lower competition, higher relevance. They match user intent more precisely than single word terms, which is why they convert better even at lower volumes.
How Google handles long tail keywords
Google's crawlers index your content and filter results by relevance. A practical example: linkbuilding on its own is too generic to win against established sites. "The best linkbuilding agency in Amsterdam" gives you a clear shot at ranking because the query is specific and the competition thinner.
A step by step plan for long tail keywords
- Use headings and subheadings so crawlers can parse the structure
- Bold the important terms
- Link out to authoritative external sources
- Optimize image alt tags and filenames
- Build dedicated landing pages for specific keywords
- Treat short tail keywords as the long term goal and long tail as the path to get there