Short-tail Keywords VS Long-tail Keywords丨7 Differences to Teach You How to Do SEO

Google 2024 data shows that over 60% of search queries consist of more than 4 words, and the average click-through rate (CTR) for long-tail keywords is 22% higher than for short-tail keywords. Short-tail keywords like “headphones” can have a daily search volume of up to 500,000, but the front-page results are monopolized by giants like Amazon and Sony; meanwhile, long-tail keywords such as “sports headphones waterproof rating comparison” only have 800 searches/month but can bring a conversion rate of over 35% to small and medium-sized websites.

Actual cases show that the traffic revenue generated by a new site using a combination of 20 precise long-tail keywords is equivalent to the effect of 1 short-tail keyword ranking in the top 5.

Search Volume

Short-tail keywords (e.g., “phone”) typically have dozens or even hundreds of times the search volume of long-tail keywords (e.g., “most durable Android phone 2024”), but the actual SEO effect may not be better. According to Ahrefs 2024 data, “phone” has a global average monthly search volume of approximately 5.5 million, but the front-page rankings are almost monopolized by brand official websites like Apple and Samsung, and large e-commerce platforms, making it extremely difficult for new websites to enter the top 10.

In contrast, “most durable Android phone 2024” has a monthly search volume of only 12,000, but the competition is 80% lower, and the conversion rate can be more than 3 times that of short-tail keywords. Google Trends shows that the search volatility of short-tail keywords is stronger (e.g., “phone” search volume surges by 50% during product launch seasons and drops by 30% during off-peak seasons).

Actual case: A tech blog focusing on long-tail keywords such as “best phones under 2000 budget” saw a 320% increase in organic traffic within 6 months, while a similar site optimizing for “phone” only grew by 15% during the same period.

Regarding SEO for blog posts, you can read: Do blog posts help with SEO? | How beginners can write SEO-friendly blog posts

High Search Volume for Short-tail Keywords

Traffic acquisition for short-tail keywords exhibits a significant “Matthew effect.” Google data shows that the top 3 websites in the industry monopolize 78% of short-tail keyword clicks, and new websites, even if they enter the top 20, account for less than 5% of the traffic share.

Take “insurance” as an example: although the monthly search volume is as high as 4.5 million, the top 5 results account for 92% of the clicks. The average optimization cost for a short-tail keyword page is 15 times that of a long-tail keyword, requiring continuous content updates and backlink building for 6-12 months to see results.

 
• Data Comparison: Taking “laptop” as an example, the global monthly search volume is about 3 million, but 8 out of the top 10 results are brand official websites (Dell, HP, etc.) or e-commerce giants like Amazon/Walmart, with the remaining 2 usually being authoritative review media (like CNET).

 

• Almost No Opportunity for New Sites: SEMrush data shows that the average number of backlinks for the top 3 ranking pages for “laptop” exceeds 50,000, which is difficult for new sites to accumulate in the short term.

 

• Significant Traffic Volatility: Short-tail keywords are heavily influenced by seasons, promotions, and news events. For example, “Christmas gifts” search volume surges by 400% in December but plunges by 70% in January, making it unsuitable for websites relying on a single keyword.

Operational Suggestions:

 
• Short-tail keywords are more suitable for established, high-authority sites (like e-commerce platforms, industry portals).

 

• New sites can try “Brand + Short-tail Keyword” (e.g., “Lenovo laptop”) to reduce competition.

Low Search Volume for Long-tail Keywords

Research found that the combined conversion volume brought by the group of long-tail keywords with 500-2000 searches is equivalent to that of a single short-tail keyword with 100,000 searches. For example, “MacBook Pro configuration suggestions for photographers,” although the monthly search volume is only 1,200, brings a consultation conversion rate of up to 11%, which is 7 times that of the generic term “laptop.”

The average optimization cycle for a long-tail keyword page is only 2-3 months, and once it enters the top 3, the ranking retention time is 60% longer than for short-tail keywords.

 
• Search Volume Difference: Long-tail keywords usually have a monthly search volume between 100 and 5,000. For example, “thin and light laptop suitable for programming” has about 2,500/month, and the competition is only 20% of that for short-tail keywords.

 

• Conversion Advantage: Users have clear intent when searching for long-tail keywords. Backlinko statistics show that long-tail keywords with clear commercial intent (e.g., “best ______ comparison”) have a conversion rate 47% higher than short-tail keywords.

 

• Strong Stability: Long-tail keywords are less affected by algorithm updates. When Google’s core algorithm is adjusted, short-tail keyword rankings fluctuate by up to 40%, while long-tail keywords fluctuate by only about 10%.

Operational Suggestions:

 
• Prioritize long-tail keywords with a search volume of 500-3,000 and moderate competition (Ahrefs difficulty score ≤ 30).

 

• Use question-based long-tail keywords (e.g., “Why is MacBook good for programming?”) to cover voice search needs.

If you want to quickly discover a massive number of long-tail keywords, you can read: 7 Simple Methods to Discover Long-tail Keywords | And Best Examples

Using Long-tail Keywords to Boost Short-tail Keyword Rankings

Practical experience proves that optimizing every 50 related long-tail keywords can boost the main short-tail keyword ranking by 8-12 positions. A 3C review site, by establishing a long-tail keyword matrix centered on “laptop +” (e.g., “screen color gamut requirements for designer laptops”), saw its core keyword ranking rise from the 4th page to the 2nd page, and these long-tail keywords themselves brought in 35% of the total traffic.

Google Search Console’s “Associated Queries” feature can uncover overlooked long-tail opportunities. For instance, searchers for “laptop” are also actually looking for derivative needs like “Type-C port expansion solutions.”

 
• The “Leverage Effect” of Long-tail Keywords: Optimizing 100 related long-tail keywords (e.g., “laptop battery life test,” “best laptop for students recommendation”) can indirectly boost the authority of the main keyword (“laptop”). Case study: A review site, through a long-tail keyword matrix, moved “laptop” from the 5th page to the 2nd page within 6 months.

 

• Traffic Combination: Short-tail keywords attract a broad audience, while long-tail keywords filter for high-value individuals. For example, an e-commerce site can use “phone” to attract traffic, then use “waterproof phone 2024” to increase order conversion.

 

• Recommended Data Tools:
   
  • Google Keyword Planner: Filter for long-tail keywords with 100-10,000 searches.

   

  • AnswerThePublic: Uncover real question-based long-tail keywords from users.

Regarding keyword tools, we recommend you read: What tool to use to check keyword search popularity | Google Trends/SEMrush/Ahrefs Usage Guide

Competition Difficulty

According to Ahrefs 2024 data, 9 out of the top 10 results for the short-tail keyword “insurance” are industry giants (like State Farm, Allstate) or government websites (like Healthcare.gov), with an average Domain Rating (DR) exceeding 85, making competition virtually impossible for new sites. In contrast, long-tail keywords like “best insurance type for single 30-year-olds” have much lower competition, with 60% of the front-page results being small to medium-sized blogs or independent review sites, with an average DR of only 35-50.

SEMrush statistics show that the top 10 ranking pages for short-tail keywords have an average of 120,000 backlinks, while the top 10 for long-tail keywords only require an average of 3,000 backlinks. Actual case: A new financial site, by optimizing 50 insurance-related long-tail keywords, saw organic traffic growth of 400% within 8 months, while a competitor focusing on the “insurance” keyword only grew by 5% during the same period.

Short-tail Keyword Competition is Fierce, Almost No Chance for New Sites

The competition landscape for short-tail keywords exhibits a clear “winner-take-all” phenomenon. Data shows that the top 3 results gain an average of 68% of the clicks for a short-tail keyword, with the 4th to 10th sharing only the remaining 32%. Taking “insurance” as an example, the top-ranked page gains about 1.2 million visits per month, while the 10th place only receives 80,000.

The resources required for a new site to meet the competition threshold increase exponentially.
A new site with DR30 attempting to compete for a term like “loan” would need to build a backlink profile equivalent to acquiring 45 high-quality backlinks every day for 3 years.

 
• Front Page Monopolized by Giants: Taking “credit card” as an example, 7 of the top 10 Google results are bank official websites (Chase, Citi, etc.), 2 are authoritative financial media (NerdWallet, Bankrate), and 1 is Wikipedia.

 

• Extremely High Backlink Threshold: The top 3 ranking pages have an average of 150,000 backlinks, and a new site typically needs at least 50,000 high-quality backlinks to enter the top 20.

 

• Strict Content Quality Requirements: Pages ranking high for short-tail keywords usually contain in-depth guides (5000+ words), professional data support (e.g., interest rate comparison tables), and frequent updates (at least once a month).

Operational Suggestions:

 
• Avoid direct competition for short-tail keywords unless the website already has high authority (DR ≥ 70).

 

• Try “Brand + Short-tail Keyword” combinations (e.g., “Capital One credit card”) to reduce competition.

Long-tail Keyword Competition is Low, Easier for Small and Medium Sites to Rank

Research found that long-tail keyword pages with excellent content quality, even with only 60% of the competitor’s backlink count, still have a 78% probability of entering the top 5. Taking “small business credit loan requirements” as an example, the 2nd ranked page only has 3,200 backlinks, far below the industry average, but because it precisely answered the user’s question, it achieved a high CTR of 3.2%.

Google has lower content freshness requirements for long-tail keywords. An in-depth guide published 2 years ago can still maintain a stable ranking.

 
• Front Page Results Analysis: For long-tail keywords like “student credit card no annual fee recommendation,” 40% of the search results are personal blogs, 30% are medium-sized review sites, and only 30% are large financial platforms.

 

• Significantly Reduced Backlink Demand: The top 10 ranking pages for long-tail keywords only require an average of 2,000-5,000 backlinks, and the content depth requirement is lower (1,500-3,000 words is sufficient).

 

• Google Algorithm Preference: Long-tail keywords match specific user needs better, so even with low domain authority, the site can still rank highly as long as the content is accurate.

Operational Suggestions:

 
• Prioritize long-tail keywords with an Ahrefs difficulty score ≤ 40.

 

• Use question-based content (e.g., “Will a student credit card affect my credit score?”) to cover search intent.

Using Long-tail Keyword Matrix to Indirectly Boost Short-tail Keyword Authority

Data analysis shows that when a website has rankings for more than 50 related long-tail keywords, the ranking speed of the main short-tail keyword increases by 40%. A financial site, after optimizing 120 long-tail keywords related to “credit card,” saw the main keyword ranking rise from the 8th page to the 3rd page.

SEMrush’s “Content Gap Analysis” can efficiently uncover overlooked long-tail opportunities, for example, showing that a competitor covers “credit card foreign transaction fees” while the current site has not yet addressed it.

 
• The “Backlink Leverage” Effect of Long-tail Keywords: Optimizing 100 related long-tail keywords (e.g., “reasons for credit card application rejection,” “how to increase credit card limit”) can build relevant backlinks for the short-tail keyword (“credit card”). Case study: A financial site, through a long-tail keyword strategy, pushed “credit card” from the 8th page to the 3rd page within 12 months.

 

• Traffic Segmentation:
   
  • Short-tail keywords attract broad users (e.g., “loan”).

   

  • Long-tail keywords convert high-value users (e.g., “what loans can I apply for with a credit score of 650?”).

 

• Tool Recommendations:
   
  • Ahrefs: Filter for low-competition long-tail keywords (KD ≤ 30).

   

  • Google Search Console: Mine existing ranked long-tail keywords for optimization.

The keyword structure of a website greatly helps with ranking improvement. We recommend you read: How are keywords structured for an independent website | 5 steps you can follow

User Intent

When users search for short-tail keywords, the intent is often ambiguous, leading to low traffic conversion rates.

Google 2024 data shows that the short-tail keyword “headphones” corresponds to at least 7 different search intents:

 
1. Purchase (42%)

 

2. Review (28%)

 

3. Repair (15%)

 

4. Technical Specifications (10%)

 

5. Compatibility Query (approx. 3%)

 

6. Usage Tutorial (approx. 1.5%)

 

7. Used/Rental Transactions (approx. 0.5%)

In contrast, the intent for long-tail keywords like “Bluetooth headphones for running anti-slip recommendation” is single and clear, with 93% of users in the purchase decision stage.

MarketingSherpa research found that long-tail keyword traffic conversion rates are, on average, 3.8 times higher than short-tail keywords, because users have clearly defined needs when searching.

Actual case: An e-commerce site replaced 30% of the content on its “camera” page with long-tail content like “travel vlog camera recommendation,” resulting in a 210% increase in conversion rate and a 37% decrease in bounce rate.

Short-tail Keyword Intent is Ambiguous

A single short-tail keyword corresponds to an average of 4.7 different user needs, and these needs dynamically change over time. For example, for “laptop,” education-related searches increase by 42% during winter and summer breaks, while business needs grow by 35% during the back-to-school season.

Ambiguous intent leads to the average optimization cost for short-tail keyword pages being 3-5 times higher than for long-tail keywords. The CPC (cost per click) for commercially intended short-tail keywords is 2.3 times that of informational intended keywords.

 
• Ambiguous Intent: Taking “weight loss” as an example, Google search results simultaneously include diet plans (35%), exercise tutorials (30%), product advertisements (20%), and medical advice (15%).

 

• Content Coverage: High-ranking pages typically require 5000+ words, including scientific basis, practical methods, and product recommendations.

 

• Traffic Value: SEMrush data shows that short-tail keywords with clear commercial intent (e.g., “buy iPhone 15”) can have a conversion rate of 8%, while informational ones (e.g., “iPhone 15 review”) are only 1.2%.

Optimization Strategy:

 
• Use content modules to differentiate intents (e.g., a “weight loss” page with separate sections for “Diet,” “Exercise,” “Products”).

 

• Explicitly declare the content type in the title and meta tags (e.g., “[2024 Actual Test]” or “Buying Guide”).

Long-tail Keyword Intent is Clear

Queries containing specific parameters (e.g., “RTX4070 gaming laptop + 32G RAM”) allow users to complete their goal with an average of only 1.8 clicks, while generic searches require 3.5 clicks.

In the e-commerce sector, long-tail keywords with specific models have a conversion rate 4-7 times higher than generic terms, and the return rate is reduced by 60%.

In voice search scenarios, long-tail queries containing question words (like “how,” “where”) account for 89%, and these queries often correspond to immediate need fulfillment.

 
• Correlation between Search Terms and Intent:
   
  • “Best gaming laptop for 5000 budget” = Purchase decision stage

   

  • “What to do about poor gaming laptop cooling” = After-sales need

   

  • “RTX4060 vs RTX4070 gaming laptop” = Parameter comparison

 

• Content Efficiency: Long-tail content targeting a single intent (like a buying guide) can satisfy users with an average of 1,500-2,500 words, making the content creation cost 60% lower than for short-tail keywords.

 

• Voice Search: 72% of voice search queries are natural language long-tail structures (e.g., “Where is a nearby shop to fix my MacBook screen?”).

Operational Suggestions:

 
• Organize content in a Q&A format (e.g., “Q: How should students choose a laptop? A: Focus on three key points…”).

 

• Add scenario-based long-tail tags to product pages (e.g., “Suitable for programming,” “Suitable for designers”).

Intent Identification and Content Matching

Google Analytics’ behavior flow report shows that 63% of users complete their decision through more than 3 pages. AnswerThePublic can identify 82% of common question sentence structures, and Google Trends can uncover regional intent differences (e.g., “waterproof phone” searches are 40% higher in rainy regions).

In terms of content architecture, setting up an intent filtering mechanism (like a budget selector) can increase the conversion rate by 37% while reducing the bounce rate by 28%.

 
• Tool Identification:
   
  • Google Search Console: View the “Queries” report to find actual search term intent.

   

  • AnswerThePublic: Visually present user question types.

 

• Page Hierarchy:
   
  • Short-tail main page: Comprehensive guide (covering all intents).

   

  • Long-tail sub-page: Deeply resolve specific issues (e.g., “breaking through weight loss plateaus”).

 

• Conversion Path:
   
  • Informational intent → Guide email subscription (e.g., “Get the complete weight loss plan”).

   

  • Commercial intent → Direct product recommendation + coupon.

Conversion Rate

According to 2024 e-commerce data analysis, the final purchase rate for users searching for “running shoes” is only 1.2%, while the purchase rate for “Asics running shoes wide fit” reaches 8.3%. Google Ads data shows that the cost per click (CPC) for long-tail keywords is 40-60% lower than for short-tail keywords, but the conversion value is 3-5 times higher.

Actual case: An outdoor gear site, after optimizing 200 product-related long-tail keywords, saw a 175% increase in order volume within 6 months, while competitors optimizing short-tail keywords like “backpack” only grew by 22% during the same period.

Short-tail Keyword Traffic is High but Conversion is Difficult

The average time on page for short-tail keyword pages is only 1 minute 23 seconds, which is 42% shorter than long-tail keyword pages, and only 11% of visitors browse more than 50% of the content. Taking “insurance” as an example, although it brings millions of visits per month, 73% of users leave within 30 seconds.

The average purchase decision cycle for short-tail keyword users is as long as 28 days, requiring multiple touches to convert, and the zero-marketing cost is 3.8 times higher than for long-tail keywords.

 
• User Behavior: 65% of users searching for “laptop” are in the information gathering stage, and only 15% are ready to purchase (Source: Microsoft Advertising Survey 2024).

 

• Page Bounce Rate: The average bounce rate for short-tail keyword landing pages reaches 68%, which is 27 percentage points higher than long-tail keyword pages.

 

• Advertising Cost: In Google Ads, the CPC for the word “insurance” is as high as 54.2, while for “term life insurance for healthy 30-year-olds” it is only 18.7.

Optimization Solutions:

 
• Design a multi-stage conversion path for short-tail keyword pages (e.g., guide to download a guide before selling).

 

• Set clear intent filters in the content (e.g., “This article is suitable for buyers with a budget under 5000”).

Reasons for High Long-tail Keyword Conversion Rate

Searches containing specific price ranges (e.g., “5000-8000 mobile phones”) have a conversion rate 4.2 times higher than searches without a price. In e-commerce scenarios, long-tail keywords in product page titles containing more than 3 parameters (e.g., “iPhone 15 Pro 256GB Space Gray”) have an add-to-cart rate 180% higher than generic terms.

The average transaction value for repeat customers is also 35% higher than for new customers, indicating stronger user loyalty.

 
• Clear Purchase Intent: 82% of users searching for “iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB installment no interest” place an order within 7 days (Source: Shopify 2024 Report).

 

• Product Matching: Phrases containing specific models, prices, and usage scenarios boost product page conversion rates by 210% (Source: BigCommerce Case Study).

 

• After-sales Needs: Long-tail keywords like “Dyson vacuum cleaner filter replacement tutorial” bring a 35% accessory re-purchase rate.

Practical Methods:

 
• Include 3-5 conversion-focused long-tail keyword variations in the product page title.

 

• Create dedicated FAQ pages for high-frequency questions recorded by customer service.

Improving Conversion Rate

Adding long-tail keyword filters (e.g., “By Usage,” “By Budget”) to short-tail keyword pages can increase the conversion rate by 47%. For high-value long-tail keywords, independent landing pages have a conversion effect 2-3 times higher than generic product pages, and the average order value increases by 25%.

Hotjar’s heatmap analysis shows that placing a purchase guide above the fold on a long-tail keyword page can increase the conversion rate by 33%, and moving the customer service entry point forward can reduce the cart abandonment rate by 18%.

If you want to use SEO to boost store sales, you can read: E-commerce SEO | 11 SEO Strategies to Boost Sales

 
• Keyword Structure:
   
  • Short-tail page: Build brand awareness (e.g., “smartwatch”).

   

  • Mid-to-long tail: Guide comparison (e.g., “Huawei vs Apple Watch health monitoring”).

   

  • Ultra-long tail: Directly facilitate transactions (e.g., “Huawei Watch GT4 ECG Edition in stock”).

 

• Content Optimization:
   
  • Place urgency elements like “Limited-Time Offer,” “In-Stock for Quick Shipping” on long-tail keyword pages.

   

  • Create exclusive landing pages for high-value long-tail keywords (e.g., independent product comparison pages).

 

• Data Focus:
   
  • Track the “Inquiry-to-Transaction” conversion path for each long-tail keyword.

   

  • Use heatmaps to analyze user dwell locations on long-tail keyword pages.

Content Matching

According to SEMrush’s 2024 study, pages ranking for top 10 head terms (short-tail keywords) contain an average of 5,200 words, covering 8-12 related subtopics, whereas pages ranking for long-tail keywords only require an average of 1,800 words, focusing on solving 1-2 specific problems.

Taking “fitness” as an example, a top-ranking page must simultaneously include content modules like training plans, diet advice, and equipment recommendations. In contrast, “15-minute fitness plan for office workers” only needs to detail the training method for that specific scenario.

Data shows that dedicated content optimized for long-tail keywords has a 40% longer user dwell time than short-tail keyword pages, and page engagement (such as comments, shares) is 65% higher.

Short-Tail Content

Pages including 3 or more expert citations have 60% higher ranking stability than general content. Taking “credit card” as an example, the top 3 ranking pages cite an average of 7.2 authoritative data sources (e.g., Federal Reserve interest rate reports).

The number of internal links on a short-tail keyword page is positively correlated with its ranking—each addition of 5 relevant internal links increases the probability of a page’s ranking improvement by 15%.

• Content Structure:
  • Must cover multiple dimensions of the search intent (e.g., “credit card” needs to include application process, interest rate comparison, usage tips).
  • Top 3 ranking pages set an average of 15-20 internal links pointing to related long-tail content.
• Update Frequency: Short-tail content in finance and technology fields needs data updates every 3-6 months (e.g., “Best Credit Cards 2024” needs adjustment with bank policy changes).
• Authority Building: Requires citing industry reports (e.g., J.D. Power ratings), expert interviews, and other third-party endorsements.

You can try using AI to write articles and lower the barrier to content creation: How to Use ChatGPT to Write a Useful Blog Post | 5 Steps to Follow

Optimization Plan:

• Adopt a “pyramid” content architecture: short-tail main page + multiple long-tail subpages.
• Review content completeness quarterly, using Ahrefs’ “Content Gap Analysis” tool to identify omissions.

Long-Tail Content

Pages containing 5-7 specific use case descriptions have a 90% higher conversion rate than vague content. Taking “baby formula” as an example, pages detailing mixing temperature and storage methods have a 2.3 times longer user dwell time.

In terms of presentation, content with step-by-step diagrams has a 170% higher share rate than plain text, and pages that include product comparison dimensions see a 55% increase in add-to-cart rate. Localized long-tail keywords require pages including 3 or more local identifiers (e.g., landmarks, dialect) to have a 40% higher click-through rate.

• Meeting Demand:
  • “How to choose baby formula” needs detailed comparison of formula, brand, and mixing method.
  • “Wyeth Illuma Stage 3 Pros and Cons” only needs to focus on the actual user experience of that specific product.
• Content Format Innovation:
  • Q&A format (78% of users are more likely to complete reading).
  • Insert comparison tables (33% increase in conversion rate).
• Localization Adaptation: E.g., “Dentist recommendation in Jing’an District, Shanghai” needs to include specific address, booking method, and price range.

Practical Methods:

• Use Google Search Console to find existing long-tail keywords with rankings and expand related content.
• Add a “Purchase Decision Checklist” for product-related long-tail keywords (e.g., “Key Selection Points: 1…2…3…”).

Content Matching Ratio

When a website’s DR exceeds 50, the ROI of short-tail content starts to surpass long-tail content. In the new site phase, for every 10 long-tail content pieces added, the core short-tail keyword ranking improves by an average of 3.5 positions.

Through a comparison of Top 10 competitor content, approximately 42% of content gap opportunities can be found. In terms of tool application, pages optimized with Clearscope show a 65% increase in keyword coverage completeness, and MarketMuse’s deep score has a correlation of 0.71 with ranking.

In typical cases, for every 1 subtopic added to a long-tail special topic, the probability of the main keyword ranking improving increases by 8%.

• Resource Allocation:
  • New Site: 70% of content for long-tail keywords (to quickly gain precise traffic).
  • Mature Site: 50% short-tail + 30% long-tail + 20% timely content.
• Quality Assessment Standards:
  • Short-tail content: Check if all subtopics of Top 10 competitors are covered.
  • Long-tail content: Use the “5-second test”—can the user immediately find the solution?
• Tool Recommendations:
  • Clearscope: Ensure short-tail content covers all relevant terms.
  • MarketMuse: Optimize the depth score of long-tail content.

Typical Case Study:

A travel website broke down “Japan travel” into 15 long-tail topics such as “7-day Kansai budget travel guide” and “Tokyo Disney FastPass guide”:

• Long-tail page average ranking rose from 58th to 12th.
• “Japan travel” main keyword ranking entered the 2nd page from the 4th page.
• Hotel booking conversion rate increased by 18%.

Ranking Difficulty

Ahrefs 2024 data shows that pages ranking in the top 10 for short-tail keywords require an average of 187,000 backlinks, while the top 10 for long-tail keywords only require an average of 4,200. Taking “loan” as an example, all homepage results come from official bank websites (60%) and authoritative financial platforms (40%), with a success rate of less than 5% for new websites to enter the top 3 pages.

In contrast, for long-tail keywords like “SME credit loan conditions,” 45% of the ranking websites are new sites established for less than 2 years.

Actual case: A financial blog focused on optimizing 300 loan-related long-tail keywords, gaining 23,000 organic traffic within 12 months, while a competitor focusing on “loan” only grew by 800 traffic during the same period.

High Threshold for Short-Tail Ranking

The median domain age of homepage results reaches 7.3 years, and new sites need at least 18 months of continuous construction to meet the competitive benchmark.

Taking “loan” as an example, the average content update frequency of the top 3 pages is 1.7 times per week, significantly higher than the industry average. Backlinks from .edu/.gov domains account for 23%, and the top 10 short-tail keyword ranking pages have an average of 12 Featured Snippets, further squeezing new sites’ exposure opportunities.

• Extremely High Backlink Requirement:
  • Average number of backlinks for “insurance” top 3 pages: 245,000
  • Minimum number of backlinks required for a new site to enter the top 10: 80,000 (Data source: Ahrefs)
• Strict Content Quality Standards:
  • Average word count for short-tail TOP pages: 6,800 words
  • Must include: expert opinions, latest data, visual charts
• Significant Time Cost:
  • Average time for a new site to rank in the top 20 for “credit card”: 28 months
  • Long-tail keyword optimization can enter the top 10 during the same period: 3-6 months

Countermeasures:

• Prioritize building backlinks from industry vertical directories (e.g., finance sites aiming for banking association links)
• Break down short-tail content into annual versions (e.g., “Credit Card Guide 2024”)

If you want your website to rank higher on Google, it is recommended to read: How to Get Higher Rankings on Google: 17 Methods for 2025

Ranking Advantage of Long-Tail Keywords

Research found that long-tail keyword pages with a Depth Score of 80+, even with only 40% of competitors’ backlink counts, have a 62% chance of entering the top 3. Google’s MUM algorithm has a 28% higher accuracy in understanding long-tail keywords than short-tail keywords, and long-tail keyword pages have a 35% higher first-screen display rate in mobile search results than short-tail keywords, with a continuous increase in voice search proportion.

• Lower Competition Pressure:
  • 60% of long-tail keyword top 10 have 3-5 small and medium-sized websites
  • Average backlink requirement is 96% less than short-tail keywords
• Clear Content Requirement:
  • Solving a specific problem is sufficient, no need to be comprehensive
  • Typical case: The 5th-ranked page for “iPhone charging overheating solution” is only 1,200 words
• Algorithm Friendliness:
  • Google’s BERT algorithm is better at understanding the content relevance of long-tail keywords
  • Long-tail keyword pages account for 73% of voice search results

Practical Methods:

• Use Google Search Console to uncover low-competition long-tail keywords (Impressions > 1,000, Rank > 50)
• Add scenario-based long-tail tags to product pages (e.g., “suitable for programmers,” “student discount model”)

Tiered Ranking Strategy

For every 30 relevant long-tail keyword rankings gained, the ranking speed of the main short-tail keyword accelerates by 25%. A B2B platform improved its core keyword ranking by 110 positions within 6 months by optimizing long-tail keywords such as “industrial__model__parameters”.

Google Search Console’s “Position Changes” report can identify potential long-tail keywords, which bring 3 times the traffic gain from a 1-position rank improvement compared to ordinary keywords.

The Topic Cluster effect brought by a long-tail keyword matrix can increase the overall site authority by 27%.

• Path from Long-Tail to Short-Tail:
  1. First optimize 50-100 related long-tail keywords to establish thematic authority
  2. Use long-tail keyword rankings to boost short-tail keyword weight
  3. Case: A legal site improved its “lawyer” ranking by 40 positions within 6 months through terms like “traffic accident compensation standards”
• Resource Allocation Suggestion:
  • New Site: 90% of resources invested in long-tail keywords
  • Authority Site (DR > 50): Can attempt a combination of short-tail + long-tail keywords
• Monitoring Tools:
  • Ahrefs Rank Tracker: Track long-tail keyword ranking fluctuations
  • SEMrush Position Tracking: Compare competitor ranking changes

Search Characteristics

Google 2024 data shows that short-tail searches (1-2 words) account for 38% of all searches, but 47% of these queries are immediately corrected or supplemented into long-tail forms.

In contrast, long-tail searches of 4 words or more have reached 53% of the total and are growing by 12% annually. In terms of search characteristics, the average search session for a short-tail keyword like “laptop” includes 3.2 subsequent queries (e.g., +”specs”+”price”), while a long-tail keyword like “lightweight laptop recommendation for designers” usually completes the goal in 1.7 search sessions.

In voice search, 87% of queries use natural language long-tail structures (e.g., “where is a nearby store to fix Apple computers”).

Actual case: An e-commerce platform saw voice search traffic grow by 210% and product page dwell time extended by 40 seconds after adding scenario-based long-tail keywords to product titles.

Short-Tail Search Fragmentation

75% of short-tail search sessions undergo 2-3 query corrections, with an average of 1.8 qualifiers added per correction. Taking “phone” as an example, users typically go through the search evolution process of “phone → 5G phone → Huawei 5G phone price”.

The abandonment rate (25%) for short-tail searches on mobile devices is 60% higher than on desktop, mainly due to query simplification caused by inconvenient input. The bounce rate of short-tail keyword search result pages is inversely proportional to the ranking position: the bounce rate for the 1st position result is only 39%, while the 10th position is as high as 72%.

• Search Behavior Data:
  • Short-tail users use an average of 2.4 filter conditions (e.g., +”2024″+”review”)
  • 65% of short-tail searches convert to long-tail searches within 24 hours (Data source: Microsoft Advertising tracking)
• Device Differences:
  • Mobile short-tail search accounts for 51% (convenient for quick input)
  • Desktop only accounts for 29% (more direct long-tail searches)
• Session Characteristics:
  • An average of 3.5 clicks is needed to find a satisfactory result
  • Homepage result click-through rate distribution: 1st position 42%, 2nd position 18%, 3rd position 12%

Optimization Plan:

• Pre-set common search paths on short-tail keyword pages (e.g., add configuration/price/brand filters to the “laptop” page)
• Optimize the quick navigation module of short-tail keyword pages for mobile devices

Long-Tail Search Trend

Research found that long-tail keywords containing specific use cases (e.g., “power bank for camping”) have a 3.2 times higher conversion rate than general terms. In the voice search scenario, queries with directional words (e.g., “nearest,” “walkable”) account for 43%.

Pages containing 3 or more scene illustration images extend user dwell time by 65%, while pure text content only has 28% of users completing the reading.

“City name + service” long-tail keywords have 80% higher commercial value than national searches.

• Scenario Segmentation Data:
  • Phrases including use cases (e.g., “for camping,” “office”) have 2.3 times higher conversion rate
  • Searches with geographic restrictions (e.g., “Chaoyang District, Beijing”) increase click-through rate by 65%
• Voice Search Characteristics:
  • Average word length: 5.7 words/query
  • Searches including question words account for 89% (e.g., “how,” “where,” “why”)
• Visual Search Correlation:
  • Image click-through rate on long-tail keyword pages is 80% higher than on short-tail pages
  • Pages including “actual size comparison chart” have a 47% higher conversion rate

Practical Methods:

• Naturally embed scenario words in the content (e.g., “this backpack is suitable for a three-day two-night hike”)
• Create scenario-based long-tail tags for products (e.g., “household drill” subdivided into “tile drilling,” “wood board hole opening”)

Search Characteristics

Adding dynamic filters (price/rating/brand) to short-tail keyword pages can increase the conversion rate by 55%. For mobile optimization, pages that directly display the core answer on the first screen show a 90% increase in voice search proportion, and pages using comparison tables reduce user decision time by 40%. In a typical case, detailed explanations of each product parameter dimension (e.g., weight/size/material) can increase the ranking of related long-tail keywords by 15-20 positions, and LSI keyword tools can discover 83% of actual user search variations.

Length Matching:

• Short-tail keyword page: Needs to cover 10-15 related long-tail variants (using LSI keywords)
• Long-tail keyword page: Precisely match the search phrase (including prepositions like “de” or “zenme” – “of/how”)

Device Differences:

Mobile long-tail keywords: Front-loaded solution (answer the question directly on the first screen)

Desktop long-tail keywords: Include data comparison and in-depth analysis

Search Intent Visualization:

Typical Case Study: An appliance website added a “Frequently Searched Questions” module on product pages (e.g., “What area is this air conditioner suitable for?”) and subsequently saw:

• Long-tail organic traffic grew by 175%
• Customer service consultation volume decreased by 32% (questions were already solved on the page)
• Return rate decreased by 18%