You spent hours writing a blog post targeting what seemed like a solid keyword. Three months later, it sits on page four of Google, sending zero traffic. Meanwhile, a competitor ranks on page one for a similar topic with half the content quality you delivered.
The difference is not content quality. It is keyword selection. Research shows that 91.8% of all search queries are long tail keywords, yet most sites ignore them and chase the same broad, impossible-to-rank terms. Long tail keyword research helps you find the specific phrases your audience actually searches for, with low enough competition that you can rank without waiting a year or building 500 backlinks.
This guide shows you exactly how to find long tail keywords that drive real traffic, how to evaluate which ones are worth targeting, and how to prioritize them when you have hundreds of options. By the end, you will have a repeatable process for uncovering low competition keywords with high traffic potential.
What are long tail keywords and why they matter for SEO
A long tail keyword is a search phrase that is longer and more specific than a typical keyword. These keywords usually contain three or more words and target a narrow, well-defined search intent.
Think of keywords as existing on a spectrum. On one end, you have short tail keywords like "coffee" or "running shoes." These are broad, generic, and searched thousands of times per month. On the other end, you have long tail keywords like "best organic coffee beans for cold brew" or "trail running shoes for wide feet with arch support."
The difference is not just length. Long tail keywords reveal exactly what someone wants. When someone searches "shoes," they could want anything from dress shoes to hiking boots to shoe repair services. When someone searches "waterproof hiking boots for women size 8," you know precisely what they need.
Here is the shift: Someone searching "SEO" is researching a broad topic. Someone searching "how to do SEO for a local plumbing business" has a specific problem and is ready to follow a solution.
Long tail keywords matter because they represent how people actually search. According to Search Engine Journal, the rise of voice search and conversational AI means people are typing and speaking in full questions rather than fragmented keywords. Instead of "pizza delivery," they ask "where can I get pizza delivered near me after 10 PM?"
The three reasons long tail keywords work better for most sites:
- Lower competition – Fewer sites target specific phrases, so you face weaker competitors or no optimized content at all
- Higher conversion rates – Data shows long tail keywords convert at 36% on average, compared to much lower rates for generic terms. Specificity equals intent.
- Easier to rank – You do not need domain authority of 70 or 200 backlinks to rank for a keyword with 100 monthly searches and difficulty of 15
If you are working on complete keyword research for your site, long tail keywords should make up the majority of your target list. For more specialized approaches, check out our guide on niche keyword research strategies.
How to find long tail keywords step by step
Finding long tail keywords is not complicated, but most people skip steps and end up with a random list they never use. Follow this process and you will have a organized, prioritized list of keywords ready to turn into content.
Step 1: Start with seed keywords
Seed keywords are broad terms that describe your business, product, or topic. These are not the keywords you will target. They are the foundation you build on.
To find your seed keywords, ask three questions:
- What do I sell or help people do?
- What problems do my customers have before they find me?
- What topics do I want to be known for?
For example, if you run a content marketing agency for SaaS companies, your seed keywords might be: content marketing, SaaS marketing, blog writing, SEO content, demand generation.
You only need 3 to 5 seed keywords. You will expand them in the next step.
Step 2: Expand seed keywords into long tail variations
Take your seed keywords and plug them into a keyword research tool. The tool will generate hundreds of related keyword ideas based on what people actually search for.
You have three options:
Free option: Google Autocomplete and related searches
Type your seed keyword into Google and look at the autocomplete suggestions as you type. Scroll to the bottom of the search results page and check the "Related searches" section. Write down every relevant long tail variation you see. This method is manual but costs nothing and reveals real searches Google sees every day.
Pay-as-you-go option: Keywords Cluster
Keywords Cluster costs $12 for 40 searches with no monthly subscription. You get exact search volume data, keyword difficulty scores, and automatic keyword clustering that groups related long tail keywords by topic. This is the most cost-efficient option if you do keyword research a few times per month rather than daily.
Subscription option: Ahrefs or SEMrush
These tools start at $99 to $139 per month and provide the deepest data, including competitor keyword analysis, SERP features, and historical trends. Worth it if you do keyword research constantly or manage multiple client sites. For a full comparison, see our post on choosing keywords for different purposes.
Whichever tool you use, focus on exporting keyword ideas that are longer than your seed keyword and more specific. You are looking for variations that add context, location, modifiers, or intent signals.
Step 3: Filter for low competition and relevant intent
You now have a list of hundreds or thousands of long tail keyword ideas. Most of them are useless. Your job is to filter the list down to keywords that are achievable and valuable.
Apply these three filters:
Filter 1: Keyword difficulty below 30
Keyword difficulty (KD) below 30 on a 100-point scale means the keyword is achievable for sites without massive domain authority. If your site is new or has limited backlinks, target keywords with KD below 20. If you have moderate authority, you can push to KD 30 or 35.
Filter 2: Search volume above 50 per month
Some long tail keywords have zero searches. Skip them unless you have proof people ask that question (for example, from customer support tickets or sales calls). Aim for at least 50 to 100 monthly searches. A keyword with 100 searches and 10% click-through rate sends 10 visitors per month. That compounds when you target 50 keywords like that.
Filter 3: Search intent matches your content
Not all keywords are created equal in terms of intent. Long tail keywords typically fall into three intent categories:
- Informational – "how to do keyword research," "what is a long tail keyword" (top of funnel, educational content)
- Commercial – "best keyword research tools," "Ahrefs vs SEMrush" (middle of funnel, comparison and evaluation content)
- Transactional – "buy Ahrefs subscription," "keyword research tool pricing" (bottom of funnel, ready to purchase)
Match the keyword intent to the type of content you can create. If you sell a product, prioritize commercial and transactional long tail keywords. If you are building authority and traffic first, informational keywords work well.
For specialized research approaches, explore our guides on keyword research for Amazon and e-commerce platforms or keyword research for beginners if you are just starting out.
How to score and prioritize long tail keywords (the gap no one covers)
You now have a filtered list of long tail keywords. The problem is you still have 200 options and no clear way to decide which ones to target first. Most guides stop here and tell you to "just pick the ones with the best search volume and lowest difficulty."
That advice is useless. A keyword with 50 searches and difficulty 10 might be better than one with 200 searches and difficulty 25, or it might not. It depends on your site, your goals, and the keyword context.
Here is a simple scoring framework I use to prioritize long tail keywords when I have too many options:
The weighted keyword scoring method
Assign each keyword a score from 1 to 10 for four factors, then calculate a weighted total. The highest scoring keywords are your top priorities.
Factor 1: Traffic potential (weight: 30%)
Score the keyword based on how much traffic it could realistically send to your site. Consider both search volume and expected click-through rate. A keyword ranking #1 with 100 monthly searches and 30% CTR sends more traffic than one ranking #5 with 500 searches and 5% CTR.
- Score 10: High monthly searches (200+) with clear intent that drives clicks
- Score 5: Moderate searches (50-200) or lower CTR expected
- Score 1: Low searches (under 50) or keyword triggers SERP features that steal clicks
Factor 2: Ranking difficulty (weight: 40%)
Score based on how hard it will be to rank given your current site authority. This is not just keyword difficulty. It is difficulty relative to your site.
- Score 10: KD under 15, weak competitors in top 10, your domain authority is competitive
- Score 5: KD 15-30, mix of strong and weak competitors, achievable with good content
- Score 1: KD over 30, dominated by high-authority sites, would take months and significant link building
Factor 3: Business value (weight: 20%)
Score based on how closely the keyword aligns with your revenue goals. A keyword that sends visitors who convert is worth more than one that sends traffic that bounces.
- Score 10: Keyword indicates ready-to-buy intent or matches your ideal customer profile perfectly
- Score 5: Keyword is relevant but informational, builds awareness but does not directly drive conversions
- Score 1: Keyword is tangentially related, unlikely to convert even if you rank
Factor 4: Content fit (weight: 10%)
Score based on how easily you can create content for this keyword given your existing resources, expertise, and content calendar.
- Score 10: You already have content that could be optimized, or you can write it in under 2 hours with existing knowledge
- Score 5: Requires moderate research or content creation, but manageable
- Score 1: Requires deep expertise you do not have, extensive research, or resources you cannot access
Calculate the weighted score using this formula:
Keyword Score = (Traffic Potential × 0.3) + (Ranking Difficulty × 0.4) + (Business Value × 0.2) + (Content Fit × 0.1)
Sort your keyword list by this score. The keywords with scores above 7 are your top priorities. Keywords scoring 4 to 7 are secondary targets. Anything below 4 goes to a "maybe later" list.
This scoring method is not perfect, but it forces you to think critically about each keyword instead of blindly chasing search volume. When you are staring at 200 keywords, this framework gives you a clear starting point.
Where to find long tail keywords beyond tools
Keyword research tools are useful, but they only show you what already exists in their databases. Some of the best long tail keywords come from sources tools miss entirely.
Mine customer language from support tickets and sales calls
Your customers already tell you exactly what they search for. They just do it in support tickets, chat logs, and sales call transcripts instead of search boxes.
Go through your last 50 customer support tickets and pull out every question that starts with "how do I," "why does," "can I," or "what is the best way to." These are long tail keywords waiting to be turned into content.
For example, a SaaS company selling project management software might see support tickets asking "how do I export a Gantt chart to PDF" or "why does my task list not sync with Google Calendar." Both are perfect long tail keywords with clear intent that a tool would never surface.
Scrape questions from Reddit, Quora, and niche forums
Search Engine Journal notes that online communities like Reddit and Quora are goldmines for long tail keywords because people ask questions they cannot find answers to elsewhere.
Search Reddit for your seed keywords and read through the top posts and comments. Look for recurring questions, pain points, and specific phrasing people use. These often become long tail keywords with zero competition because no one has written content targeting them yet.
The same applies to niche forums and communities in your industry. If you sell email marketing software, spend an hour reading threads in marketing Slack groups or niche communities. You will find questions like "how to reduce email bounce rate for cold outreach" or "best way to warm up a new email domain" that tools would never show you.
Use Google's People Also Ask boxes
When you search any keyword on Google, you often see a "People Also Ask" section with related questions. Each question is a long tail keyword opportunity.
Click on one of the questions and Google expands it. It also loads more related questions at the bottom. Keep clicking and you can chain together 20 to 30 related long tail keyword questions in a few minutes.
This method is especially useful for finding question-based long tail keywords that work well for FAQ sections and voice search optimization.
Analyze competitor content gaps
Your competitors rank for long tail keywords you have not thought of. Tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush let you enter a competitor's URL and see every keyword they rank for.
Filter the list to show only keywords with low difficulty (under 30) that you do not currently rank for. These are gaps in your content. If your competitor ranks for "how to create a content calendar in Google Sheets" and you do not, that is a long tail keyword you should target.
For more on finding overlooked opportunities, check out how to find the most popular keywords in your niche that competitors may have missed.
Common mistakes that waste time in long tail keyword research
Most people make the same mistakes when researching long tail keywords. These errors do not just waste time. They send you chasing keywords that will never deliver results.
Mistake 1: Ignoring search intent and chasing volume
A keyword with 500 monthly searches sounds better than one with 50 searches. But if the 500-search keyword has the wrong intent, it is worthless.
For example, "Excel templates" has high search volume, but people searching that phrase want free downloads, not your SaaS product. Meanwhile, "Excel alternative for project management teams" has lower volume but targets people actively looking for a solution like yours.
Always check the SERP before committing to a keyword. If the top 10 results are all the wrong content type (for example, you want to rank a product page but all results are blog posts), the keyword does not match your intent. Skip it.
Mistake 2: Targeting keywords with zero real search volume
Some keyword tools show estimated search volume, not real data. A tool might say a keyword gets 30 searches per month, but in reality, no one has ever searched it.
Before investing time in a keyword, validate it using Google Autocomplete or Google Trends. If Google does not autocomplete the phrase and Trends shows zero interest, the keyword is likely fabricated by the tool's algorithm.
Mistake 3: Not checking SERP features that steal clicks
Some long tail keywords trigger SERP features like featured snippets, knowledge panels, or "People Also Ask" boxes that answer the question directly on the search results page. When that happens, the click-through rate to organic results drops significantly.
Before targeting a keyword, search it on Google and look at the results page. If a featured snippet answers the entire question, you might still rank #1 but get minimal traffic. This does not mean you should skip the keyword entirely, but factor it into your traffic potential estimate.
Mistake 4: Building a list but never turning it into content
The biggest mistake is spending hours building a perfect keyword list and then never using it. Keyword research only creates value when it turns into published content that ranks.
Set a rule: for every hour you spend on keyword research, spend five hours creating content targeting those keywords. If you cannot commit to that ratio, stop researching and start writing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a long tail keyword?
A long tail keyword is a specific search phrase, usually containing three or more words, that targets a narrow search intent. These keywords typically have lower search volume but higher conversion rates because they match exactly what the searcher wants. For example, "best waterproof hiking boots for women" is a long tail keyword, while "boots" is a short tail keyword.
How do I find long tail keywords for free?
You can find long tail keywords for free using Google Autocomplete, Google's "People Also Ask" boxes, Google Search Console, Answer the Public, and the alphabet soup method. Type your seed keyword into Google and add letters a-z to see autocomplete suggestions. These methods reveal real searches people are making without requiring paid tools.
What is the difference between long tail and short tail keywords?
Short tail keywords are 1-2 word phrases with high search volume and high competition (like "shoes" or "SEO"). Long tail keywords are 3+ word phrases with lower search volume but lower competition and higher conversion rates (like "best running shoes for flat feet" or "SEO for small law firms"). Long tail keywords target specific intent while short tail keywords are broad and general.
Do long tail keywords really convert better?
Yes, long tail keywords convert significantly better than short tail keywords. Research shows that long tail keywords have an average conversion rate of 36%, and they convert 2.5 times higher than head terms. This happens because people using long tail keywords know exactly what they want and are further along in their buying journey.
How many words should a long tail keyword have?
A long tail keyword typically has 3 or more words, though the definition is based more on specificity and search volume than word count alone. A 2-3 word phrase can be considered long tail if it is specific enough and has low search volume and competition. What matters most is that the keyword targets a specific search intent rather than a broad topic.
What keyword difficulty score is good for long tail keywords?
For long tail keywords, look for a keyword difficulty (KD) score below 30 on a 100-point scale. Scores below 20 are ideal for new websites or pages with low authority. This range indicates that the keyword is achievable without extensive backlink building or waiting months for results.
Should I only target long tail keywords?
No, you should target a mix of long tail and short tail keywords. Long tail keywords provide quick wins and targeted traffic, while short tail keywords build broader visibility and authority. A balanced strategy uses long tail keywords for specific pages and conversions, while gradually building toward more competitive short tail terms as your domain authority grows.
How long does it take to rank for long tail keywords?
Long tail keywords typically rank much faster than competitive short tail keywords. Depending on your site's authority and content quality, you can see rankings within 2-8 weeks for low competition long tail keywords. Higher competition long tail keywords may take 2-4 months. The key is choosing keywords with difficulty scores that match your current domain authority.
Start finding long tail keywords that actually rank
Long tail keyword research is not about finding the perfect keyword. It is about building a repeatable process that uncovers dozens of achievable opportunities while your competitors chase impossible terms.
The three things that matter most: start with clear seed keywords, filter ruthlessly for difficulty and intent, and prioritize using a scoring framework that accounts for your specific situation. Do not waste time chasing high-volume keywords you will never rank for. Find the long tail keywords where you can win, then create content that actually answers what people are searching for.
Keywords Cluster helps you find exact search volume and keyword difficulty data for long tail keywords without a monthly subscription. Pay $12 for 40 searches and get automatic clustering that groups related keywords by topic, making it easy to plan content around long tail opportunities.