Keyword research
Identifying and prioritising the queries a business should target, using volume, difficulty, intent, business value and current visibility.
ContentLong tail
Long-tail keyword
A specific, low-volume query, usually longer and more precise, that collectively with millions of others makes up the majority of search demand.
In full
Long-tail terms typically convert better because specificity implies a clearer need, and they are easier to rank for individually. They are also where a large share of queries Google has never seen before sit, which is why semantic understanding matters more than exact-match pages. In practice long tail is captured by comprehensive pages that answer many related questions rather than by one page per phrase.
Example
'Waterproof trail running shoes for wide feet' converts at several times the rate of 'running shoes' despite a fraction of the volume.
Related terms
Search volume
The estimated number of times a query is searched in a period, usually derived from Google Ads data and modelled by third-party tools.
Search intent
The underlying goal behind a query — typically classified as informational, navigational, commercial investigation or transactional.
Semantic search
Retrieval based on the meaning of a query and documents rather than literal keyword matching, using entities, context and learned…
Conversion rate
The proportion of sessions or users that complete a defined goal, such as a purchase, lead form submission or sign-up.