Long tail keywords have been constantly applied to countless Search Engine Optimisation campaigns to make them more effective. The idea of long tail keyword refers to keywords or phrases composed or 3-5 more words. Long tail keywords are less popular, less competitive, and less searched for. However, when taken collectively, these long tail keywords and phrases can be a huge contributing factor for driving significant levels of high quality website traffic.

Targeting these types of keywords has advantages and disadvantages. Find out more below.

Advantages of long tail keywords:

Lower competition – A lot of website owners use keywords that contain 1-2 popular words. By using long tail keywords, you can obtain an extra advantage over your competitors. Plus, it’s a lot easier to rank well and faster. But it is still recommendable to perform adequate keyword research before committing to such long tail keywords.

Higher conversion rate – Conversion is higher because long tail keywords mean that people know exactly what they are looking for. Searchers use long tail keywords to achieve specific results. When people look up information on the web, they usually type in one or two keywords to initially find what they are looking for. Though this generate results, when they type in more keywords, say “second-hand cars Sydney,” they achieve a better and more refined search result.

Useful with your rankings on main keywords – People generally use long tail keywords relevant to their primary keywords. A good technique would be using this additional content to link to your articles. More articles on related themes will definitely increase your search engine ranking.

Some disadvantages of long tail keywords:

Low search volume – Because long tail keyword is so specific, few people are searching for it. And the more specific it becomes, the lower the search volume gets. So, it’s crucial to carefully research and decide which long tail keywords are worth the effort and which ones are not.

You need many – Since the search volume is low, you need to target a number of long tail keywords to acquire more benefits.

The Conclusion:

You can’t survive the fierce competition without long tail keywords. Though it has a couple of disadvantages, they can definitely deliver high volumes of traffic.