Short-tail keywords are a popular topic among website owners and content creators. Are they worth targeting? And can you even compete for top rankings?
The truth is, short-tail keywords play an important role in SEO.
And dismissing them entirely from your content strategy would be a disservice to your website.
In this article, you’ll learn everything you need to know about short-tail keywords, from what they are, why they matter, and how to find them.
In This Article
What Are Short-Tail Keywords?
Short-tail keywords are simple words or phrases people often use to search for general topics. They typically consist of only 1 or 2 words.
Short-tail keywords are highly competitive due to their broad nature. Some examples include:
- SEO
- Digital marketing
- Social media
Are Short-Tail Keywords Good for SEO?
Yes, short-tail keywords can be good for SEO.
But not in the way that you might think.
Realistically, ranking for short-tail keywords is reserved for the most well-respected, high-authority domains.
This means that they’re likely not the primary focus for small business owners, nor will these websites rank for them.
With that said, short-tail keywords can help search engines understand the main themes of your website.
This can ultimately help you build domain authority and establish your site as a trusted source of information within your niche.
It’s also important to note that short-tail keywords are just one component of a holistic SEO strategy.
By balancing short-tail and long-tail keywords, you’ll ensure optimal results for your website.
Long-Tail vs Short-Tail Keywords: What’s the Difference?
While short-tail keywords are broad, general terms, long-tail keywords are more specific phrases. For example:
- Short-tail keyword: “digital marketing”
- Long-tail keyword: “best digital marketing strategies for small businesses”
While short-tail keywords can attract a larger volume of traffic, they are often more competitive.
Long-tail keywords, on the other hand, may attract less traffic, but they are often more targeted and easier to rank for.
By combining both short-tail and long-tail keywords in your content strategy, you can attract a wider range of potential customers and improve your search engine rankings.
How to Find Short-Tail Keywords
1. Enter Your Keyword Into a Keyword Research Tool
To get started, you’ll want to select an SEO tool with keyword research capabilities.
For our tutorial, I’ll be using Semrush.
Navigate to the Keyword Magic Tool and enter a seed keyword. It’s best to keep this search to 1 or 2 words.
For our example, I’ll use “seo.”
This search generates the following report:
At this stage, our report has both long-tail and short-tail keywords.
Let’s proceed to the next step, which curates this list to only short-tail variations.
2. Add a Word Count Filter
Most keyword research tools will have a word count filter.
In Semrush, you can locate this setting under Advanced Filters.
For short-tail keywords, set the “to” box to 2. Click Apply.
Your report will now contain only short-tail keywords.
3. Curate a List of Short-Tail Keywords
It should come as no surprise that these keywords have extremely high keyword difficulties.
Because of this, you don’t necessarily need to target these keywords directly in your content. (On-page optimizations are best kept for long-tail keywords because you can actually rank for them.)
Instead, create a list of keywords that are relevant to your business. Don’t worry about ranking for them right now; just think of what keywords make sense for your site.
Semrush makes this process easy with its list functionality.
To add a keyword to a list, simply select the plus (+) button to the left of the keyword. This feature allows you to create lists of keywords, including short-tail.
(If this button has a check mark, the keyword is already saved to your list.)
At this point, you should have a list of short-tail keywords relevant to your site.
Now, let’s see what to do with them.
Note: For LowFruits users, you can find short-tail keywords in LowFruits. However, our tool was designed for long-tail keyword research. Most of the short-tail keywords will have a high SERP difficulty score and few, if any, weak spots.
Because of this, we don’t typically recommend using your credits analyzing these types of keywords because they have the lowest ranking potential. Save your credits for long-tail keywords, where you have better chances of ranking.
How to Use Short-Tail Keywords in Your Content
Here are some ways you can use short-tail keywords in your content strategy:
- Topic Ideation: Use short-tail keywords to brainstorm content ideas. For example, if you’re targeting the keyword “SEO,” you could create content on topics like “SEO best practices,” “SEO for small businesses,” or “SEO tools.”
- Identify Pillar Pages: Determine which pages on your website will be the foundation for your content strategy. These pages often target broad, short-tail keywords. Some examples within the SEO realm may include “keyword research” or “technical SEO.” While these pages might not rank in search results, they’re important for your site structure and user navigation.
- ToFu Content: You can use short-tail keywords in top-of-funnel content. This type of content aims to educate and engage a broad audience. Short-tail keywords align well with this high-level, informative content.
- Include Naturally: Even if a short-tail keyword isn’t the focus keyword of a web page, you’re likely to include it naturally within your content. Short-tail keywords will often occur organically while writing and help search engines understand the main theme of your page.
By following these strategies, you can leverage short-tail keywords in SEO without having to focus your content efforts around them.
Short-Tail Keywords FAQs: Your Questions Answered
Are long-tail or short-tail keywords better for SEO?
Both long-tail and short-tail keywords have their own advantages. Long-tail keywords are less competitive and can drive more targeted traffic. Because of this, new or small websites should focus their keyword optimizations on them to attract the right audience. Short-tail keywords, on the other hand, have higher search volumes but are extremely difficult to rank for. You can still use them to structure your site, identify pillar pages, and write ToFu content, though.
Should I target short-tail keywords in my content?
Yes, you should use short-tail keywords, but strategically. You can target them in ToFu content or on your pillar pages. For the rest of your content, focus on long-tail keywords and include short-tail ones naturally throughout the page.
Why are short-tail keywords important?
Short-tail keywords can help search engines understand the main themes of your website. This can be valuable for establishing authority in your niche and improving your overall SEO.
What’s Next: Long-Tail Keywords
Now that you understand short-tail keywords, here are some resources for their long-tail counterparts:
- Long-Tail Keywords: What They Are & How to Find Them
- Best Long-Tail Keyword Research Tools
- Keyword Research Tips for Small Businesses
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, short-tail keywords are valuable assets for your site structure and content strategy.
And while their on-page optimizations might not look like their long-tail counterparts (unless you’re writing a pillar page or ToFu content), they still play an important role in SEO.
Remember, a balanced approach that combines short-tail and long-tail optimizations is key to achieving optimal results.
