Keywords are essential elements in SEO (search engine optimization) that act as a bridge between what people search for and the content of your website. By including relevant keywords in your site’s content, titles, meta tags, and URLs, you improve the chances of your website appearing when people search for those keywords. This way, you improve organic traffic to your site. That being said, keywords come in long tail and short tail forms, and knowing the difference between the two is crucial for proper search engine optimization.
Definition of Short Tail Keywords
As mentioned above, knowing the difference between short tail keywords and long tail keywords is essential for a proper SEO strategy, since the two forms have different properties to be leveraged for different purposes. Simply put, short tail keywords refer to search terms containing one to two words. As opposed to long tail keywords, which contain three to five words, making them longer, more specific phrases.
Characteristics of Short Tail Keywords
Since short tail keywords are shorter and contain less words than long tail keywords, their terms are broader. This leads to a much higher search volume on short tail SEO keywords than long tail keywords. Of course, higher search volumes mean higher competition levels, as they are simpler keywords targeted by numerous websites. For example, search terms like “shoes” “travel destinations” or “restaurant” count as short tail keywords, and their high search volume should be obvious.
Advantages of Using Short Tail Keywords
It should also be obvious at this point that using short tail keywords in your SEO strategy has numerous advantages. One such advantage is the increased visibility and potential for high amounts of traffic due to higher search volumes. Another is that short tail keywords are essential for brand awareness and reaching broader audiences. Moreover, short tail keywords are very useful at the beginning of the customer journey, when potential customers are just starting their research. At this stage of the journey, their search terms tend to be simpler and more broad.
Disadvantages of Using Short Tail Keywords
While using short tail keywords has numerous advantages, it also comes with some disadvantages you’ll want to be aware of. For example, the higher search competition found with short tail keywords makes it difficult for newer or smaller sites to rank highly for them. This very high amount of competition also increases the costs for paid advertising when it comes to short SEO keywords. Pay attention to these increased costs, as they may cause you to go over budget. Additionally, since short tail keywords capture such a wide range of search intents, they tend to have lower conversion rates.
Examples and Case Studies
Take a look at some examples of short tail keywords to really get an understanding of what they are and how they work. Start with a term like “restaurant.” Of course, it’s very, very broad. But, when you add some local modifications, like “restaurant in (town/city)” the search becomes much more specific. This alleviates the high keyword competition found with these general keywords and demonstrates how short tail keywords can be a great starting point when performing keyword research.
Now, shift the perspective to an ecommerce point of view. Say you’re digital marketing for an online store and want to optimize for the keyword “backpacks.” Some possible variations would include “men’s backpacks” “women’s backpacks” “canvas backpacks for men” and “canvas backpacks for women.” Of course, there are many more potential variations, but these serve as good examples. Each term will have different search volumes, clickthrough rates, and impression numbers. Therefore, you should keep your search intent and the topics you would like to address when picking what words you want to optimize your pages for.
For a third example, suppose you have a software company that makes and sells phone apps. “Apps” would be your short tail keyword, of course, and it’s established that this is an incredibly broad term to be targeting for optimization. There are probably millions and millions of other sites trying to rank for this keyword. So, think about keywords with specific modifiers, such as “iOS apps” or “android apps.” This way, you can target your products, industry, and audience more directly from that starting point.
Strategies for Using Short Tail Keywords Effectively
Now that you know what short tail SEO keywords are and how they work, look at some strategies for using them effectively. One strategy mentioned above is to combine short tail and long tail keywords to capture more specific search intents, while continuing to leverage broader terms. Another strategy involves focusing on the quality of your content. With higher quality content, your site has higher chances of ranking despite high amounts of keyword competition. If you’re willing to spend the money, you can also strategically utilize paid search campaigns to target broader keywords and drive search traffic.
The Role of Short Tail Keywords
These keywords provide an incredibly essential element of proper search engine optimization. They are very broad search terms that can drive a lot of traffic to your websites, or simply be used as starting points for keyword research despite the keyword competition. Remember the importance of balancing short and long tail keywords to optimize your search engine optimization performance. Focus too much on short tail, and your terms will be too broad and potentially too hard to rank for. Focus too much on long tail, and your search terms will be too specific to capture high amounts of potential customers. Finding that right balance between the two is an essential part of your SEO strategy.
