What is Long-tail keyword?

Short, broad searches like ‘plumber’ are searched a lot but are hugely competitive and vague. Long-tail keywords are the more specific phrases, like ‘replace kitchen tap Exeter’ or ‘cat-friendly groomer Bath’.

Each one is searched less often, but together they add up to a lot of searches, and the people typing them usually know exactly what they want. That makes them easier to rank for and more likely to turn into an enquiry.

The name comes from a graph of search volumes: a few popular phrases make a tall ‘head’, and thousands of rarer ones trail off into a long ‘tail’.

A small local business will rarely beat national companies for broad terms, but it can easily win specific ones. A page answering exactly what a customer is looking for often brings fewer visitors but more actual jobs.