Long-Tail Search Terms: The Benefits

The difference between common search terms and long-tail search terms is the number of words in the term. Long-tail terms are usually composed of 3 or more words. Common search terms account for 30% of all search traffic, while long-tail accounts for 70%. Following are a couple of examples:

· Common: HPC Computers

· Long-Tail: HPC Computers for Research Institutions

· Common: Intel Processors

· Long-Tail: Fastest Intel Processors

Looking at these examples, it’s easy to see why more complex terms will have a lower search volume than simple terms. However, it is also easy to see the significantly greater value of long-tail terms. They tend to be terms that serious shoppers and buyers use to find exactly what they want. These are called "transactional terms."

So why doesn’t everyone opt for long-tail terms? Because success requires a serious strategy, complex planning, and a large volume of terms—some experts recommend 150 or more. Users also need a way to get their terms into the first page of search results. This is all possible. And we should know—it’s what we do every day for our clients!

For a no cost discussion of your situation, some great tools that may work for you, lead identification and the quality traffic we can drive to your website via content creation, call 630-363-8081 or email

jeanna@smartprcommunications.com.