[Hot] SEO 101: Short-Tail & Long-Tail Keywords
For a few years now, the SEO world has decreed the end of "short-tail" keywords: search phrases of one to three words. The prominence of short-tail keywords, experts agree, has declined at least since 2013, when Google announced its first entirely new algorithm in twelve years: Hummingbird.
The new algorithm, which effected 90% of Google's results, was made to accommodate the increase of voice-based searches as well as more complex searches. Today's browsers, Google knew, use more "long-tail" keywords: longer, more complicated search phrases of three words or more.
In tandem with browser's changing habits, more search engines now focus on user-intent based algorithms like Hummingbird, which attempt to predict a browser's true "goals" when performing a search.
Google notes "it can be helpful" to think about these goals in one of four ways. According to Google's Search Quality Guidelines, browsers want to:
But focusing on search volume alone neglects the value of intent.
As Search Engine Journal notes in its article on user intent: "It’s great that you want to rank for a specific term but the content has to not only be relevant but also satisfy the user intent."
The Future of Search: RankBrain
The big name in "user intent" is RankBrain, Google's machine learning tool, which uses artificial intelligence to sort search queries. In 2015, in October, Google surprised the tech world by announcing the search engine had been using machine learning for a few months:
"The new system," we noted at the time, "uses artificial intelligence to sort search queries, including the 15 percent of queries a day it gets which its systems have never seen before."
As Bloomberg noted at the time, too, "RankBrain will take these often ambiguous queries and 'learn' from them by making connections between the search itself and the websites they lead to--in other words, where the browser finally clicks."
RankBrain is what we mean we refer to intent-based algorithms--algorithms that attempts to look beyond mere keywords to offer the most precisely appropriate result.
In the future, machine learning might make today's search unrecognizable. But whatever the future holds, many experts see the writing on the wall: the end of shorter queries and the ascendance of longer queries.
What does this mean for your SEO efforts?
Should you abandon all efforts to optimize for short keywords?
Not entirely. As search evolves, you must keep one eye on the tried and true even as you look ahead to the future. Short-tail keywords and long-tail keywords have a place in any optimization campaign.
Why Use Short-Tail Keywords?
In addition to long-tail keywords, your best optimization strategy should include at least a few, carefully researched short-tail keywords (for now). Why?
Without the short-tail keywords, however, some of these customers might not have ever discovered your site.
Why Use Long-Tail Keywords?
Although shorter keywords will drive more traffic to your site, long-tail queries account for more total impressions. Simply put, people are using long-tail keywords more often.
Yet since long-tail searches are so specific, you might have a harder time discovering the best long-tail keywords for your content. That said, long-tail keywords must be a part of your optimization campaign. Why?
If you're looking for an SEO company that understands how to effectively promote websites with good content, with appropriate keywords--content that converts visitors--contact our sponsor, Stepman's SEO: 215-900-9398.
Stepman's SEO combines traditional marketing methods and organic SEO--with an emphasis on natural website optimization--to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective content marketing campaigns.
The new algorithm, which effected 90% of Google's results, was made to accommodate the increase of voice-based searches as well as more complex searches. Today's browsers, Google knew, use more "long-tail" keywords: longer, more complicated search phrases of three words or more.
In tandem with browser's changing habits, more search engines now focus on user-intent based algorithms like Hummingbird, which attempt to predict a browser's true "goals" when performing a search.
Google notes "it can be helpful" to think about these goals in one of four ways. According to Google's Search Quality Guidelines, browsers want to:
- Know something
- Do something
- Visit a specific website
- Visit a specific business, organization, or category of business (as in "near me" mobile searches)
But focusing on search volume alone neglects the value of intent.
As Search Engine Journal notes in its article on user intent: "It’s great that you want to rank for a specific term but the content has to not only be relevant but also satisfy the user intent."
 |
| Today's search engine algorithms attempt to satisfy user intent. |
The big name in "user intent" is RankBrain, Google's machine learning tool, which uses artificial intelligence to sort search queries. In 2015, in October, Google surprised the tech world by announcing the search engine had been using machine learning for a few months:
"The new system," we noted at the time, "uses artificial intelligence to sort search queries, including the 15 percent of queries a day it gets which its systems have never seen before."
As Bloomberg noted at the time, too, "RankBrain will take these often ambiguous queries and 'learn' from them by making connections between the search itself and the websites they lead to--in other words, where the browser finally clicks."
RankBrain is what we mean we refer to intent-based algorithms--algorithms that attempts to look beyond mere keywords to offer the most precisely appropriate result.
In the future, machine learning might make today's search unrecognizable. But whatever the future holds, many experts see the writing on the wall: the end of shorter queries and the ascendance of longer queries.
What does this mean for your SEO efforts?
Should you abandon all efforts to optimize for short keywords?
Not entirely. As search evolves, you must keep one eye on the tried and true even as you look ahead to the future. Short-tail keywords and long-tail keywords have a place in any optimization campaign.
Why Use Short-Tail Keywords?
In addition to long-tail keywords, your best optimization strategy should include at least a few, carefully researched short-tail keywords (for now). Why?
- Shorter keywords can drive a lot of traffic to your site.
- Short-tail keywords are easier to identify.
- Optimizing for short-tail keywords will give you a presence in your industry.
Without the short-tail keywords, however, some of these customers might not have ever discovered your site.
Why Use Long-Tail Keywords?
Although shorter keywords will drive more traffic to your site, long-tail queries account for more total impressions. Simply put, people are using long-tail keywords more often.
Yet since long-tail searches are so specific, you might have a harder time discovering the best long-tail keywords for your content. That said, long-tail keywords must be a part of your optimization campaign. Why?
- Ad campaigns for long-tail keywords have less competition so they cost less.
- Long-tail keywords can increase conversion rates. As we noted above: short-tail keywords might drive traffic to your site, but long-tail keywords can attract real customers looking for your precise product or service.
- Long-tail keywords are a by-product of good content; if you write excellent content, you might not have the hardest time discovering the best long-tail keywords; your content will do the work for you.
Long-tail keywords attempt to answer browser's specific questions.
The best way to write content that discovers long-tail keywords is to ask yourself: What is my ideal customer looking for?
Or: What question does my product or service answer?
Conversion Optimization Marketing with Stepman's SEO The best way to write content that discovers long-tail keywords is to ask yourself: What is my ideal customer looking for?
Or: What question does my product or service answer?
If you're looking for an SEO company that understands how to effectively promote websites with good content, with appropriate keywords--content that converts visitors--contact our sponsor, Stepman's SEO: 215-900-9398.
Stepman's SEO combines traditional marketing methods and organic SEO--with an emphasis on natural website optimization--to design thoughtful, inspiring, and effective content marketing campaigns.