What Are Short-Tail Keywords?
Short-tail keywords are mots clés that consist of one to three words. They are generic, broad, and used in content that covers an entire topic. Short-tail keywords are also called head terms and sometimes be seed keywords. They typically have a high search volume and are intensely competitive.
In many cases, the short-tail keyword is the first search query used by a person looking to learn more about a topic. As the searcher grasps the subject, they begin to use long-tail keywords to gain specific insights into parts of it.
Examples of short-tail keywords include:
- Health
- Aptitude
- Cooking
- Travel tips
- Technology
- Recipe ideas
- Best yoga poses
- Financial planning
- Home workout routine
- Digital marketing strategies
- Quick dinner recipes
- Healthy meal ideas
- Health insurance
- Healthy recipes
Importance of Short-Tail Keywords
Short-tail keywords are concise, typically one to three words long, and cover broad topics. They typically have high search volumes and can drive significant traffic to your blog if you rank well for them. They will also establish your blog as an authority in your niche and increase your visibility on search results pages.
However, short-tail keywords also have challenges. Because they are broad, they may attract visitors who are not explicitly interested in your content, which can lead to lower engagement and higher bounce rates.
To maximize the effectiveness of short-tail keywords, pair them with long-tail keywords and ensure your content is highly relevant and valuable. For example, if you target “yoga” as your short-tail keyword, pair it with long-tail keywords like “yoga for beginners” or “best yoga poses for stress relief.”
Difference Between Short-Tail and Long-Tail Keywords
The primary difference between long-tail and short-tail keywords lies in their intention de recherche and traffic potential.
Short-tail keywords are highly competitive because they attract a large volume of searches. However, they often lack specificity and typically have unclear search intent. This can lead to lower engagement rates and higher bounce rates, particularly when the content does not precisely match what the searcher is looking for.
On the other hand, long-tail keywords are longer, more detailed phrases. They are typically between three and five words, but they could be longer. These sorts of keywords are less competitive and usually have a clear search intent.
While they have fewer searches and traffic, long-tail keywords attract a more targeted audience with clear search intent, resulting in higher engagement and conversion rates. However, long-tail keywords do not establish the blog as an authority in the niche.
The key for bloggers is to strike a balance between short-tail and long-tail keywords. Short-tail keywords can help boost overall visibility and establish authority, while long-tail keywords allow you to target niche audiences and address specific needs.
By incorporating both types into your content strategy, you can attract a wide range of visitors while ensuring your content remains relevant and valuable to your audience.
How to Find Short-Tail Keywords
Short-tail keywords are crucial for any site that wants to establish itself as an authority within its niche. There are multiple methods of finding them, and we will now list some of them below.
1 Keyword Research Tools
Keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and SEMrush allow you to enter your seed keywords into them. They would then return with multiple keywords, including short-tail keywords relevant to your blog topic.
Some tools even provide you with options to display only short-tail keywords. These tools will also provide multiple helpful metrics, including search volume, cost-per-click (CPC), and keyword difficulty.
2 Analyze Competitor Content
Instead of finding your short-tail keyword from scratch, you can uncover the short-tail keywords your competitor already ranks for using keyword research tools or dedicated competitor analysis tools. Once done, you can include any relevant keyword in your content.
These tools will work differently. While some will only analyze the short-tail keyword your competitor’s site or a specific webpage on their site ranks for, others can detect and analyze your competitor’s top-performing pages and identify the keywords driving their traffic.
You can refer to this guide on the best SEO tools for competitor analysis.
3 Use Google Autocomplete
Saisie automatique de Google is a quick and free way to find short-tail keywords. Start typing a seed keyword into Google’s search bar, but don’t press enter. Google will suggest keywords other visitors also search for.
For example, when we enter a seed keyword like “recipe” into Google, it returns multiple short-tail keywords.
You can also add the wildcard operator * in multiple positions around your seed keyword to see which short-tail keywords appear.
4 Use Google Search Results Page
When you search for a seed keyword on Google, scroll to the Les gens demandent aussi et recherches associées fields to see short-tail keywords relevant to your seed keyword. Both fields may not explicitly return a short-tail keyword, so you may need to review the available keywords to determine their short-tail keyword.
For example, a search for “yoga poses” yields multiple short-tail keywords, such as “famous yoga poses” and “types of yoga,” in the People Also Ask field.
Similarly, the Related Searches or People also searched for field returns multiple short tail keywords when we search for the seed keyword, “recipes.”
Short-Tail Keywords Best Practices
While it is recommended for beginner bloggers to target long-tail keywords, you will ultimately begin to target short-tail keywords after a considerable period. In this case, it is recommended to follow the best practices to ensure you can attract traffic and create content that resonates with your audience.
1 Target High-Volume, Low-Competition Keywords
Short-tail keywords can be very competitive. If you are new to them, focus on short-tail keywords with high search volume but lower competition to maximize your chances of ranking. High-volume keywords attract more traffic, while low-competition ones are easier to rank for, especially for newer blogs.
2 Pair Short-Tail and Long-Tail Keywords
Pairing short and long-tail keywords lets you capture visitors with broad and specific search intents. For example, you can run a short-tail keyword like “fitness” with a long-tail one like “home fitness routines for beginners.” That way, you can capture visitors that use both search terms.
3 Optimize Short-Tail Keywords for Relevant Search Intent
Review the webpages currently ranking for the short-tail keyword you want to rank for. Pay attention to the content they publish and create something with a similar intent. You should also pay attention to the type of keyword, whether it is informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional.
4 Include the Short-Tail Keywords in Your Content
Include your short-tail keywords in your titles, headings, and subheadings. Make sure to also include it in your visible content, meta title, meta description, image titles, and alt text. However, ensure the keywords are natural and flow with the rest of your content, or else you may be penalized for keyword stuffing.
5 Only Include Relevant Short-Tail Keywords in Your Content
While on the lookout for short-tail keywords, make sure to stick to short-tail keywords that are directly relevant to your blog’s niche and audience. Irrelevant keywords, even with high search volume, will not attract the right audience or drive meaningful engagement.
6 Analyze Your Competitor’s Content
Study your competitors to identify which short-tail keywords they are ranking for and how they use them. You will typically require specialized keyword research and competitor analysis tools to find these keywords. Once done, include these short-tail keywords in your content.