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What is Short Tail?

Short Tail Keywords are search queries from one or two keywords. This type of keywords is generally more competitive than combinations of keywords (long tail) due to their large search volume. Searchers are less likely to find exactly what they were looking for on the net with these one- or two-word entries

  • Cover a wide spectrum and generate long hit lists
  • Are not very specific and associated with high bounce rates
  • Optimization for short tail keywords requires higher efforts
  • Search results only approximate the intention of the searcher

Short Tail Keywords in Online Marketing

Short Tail Keywords are generic search phrases which are only one or two words and have a large search volume. Therefore the search results of short tail keywords are not too specific – in contrast to long tail keywords or even complete sentences. Sometimes the terms Shorthead Keywords or Head Tail Keywords are used as synonyms. Short Tail Keywords have the disadvantage that they are usually associated with high bounce rates despite very high traffic. They cover the largest spectrum of the entire Internet search. They are expensive and unspecific at the same time. From the AdWords users point of view, they provide numerous impressions, but at the same time lower CTRs or conversion rates. Users who search the net with short tail keywords can have a wide variety of ambitions, whether it is purchase intentions, comparisons between different products, customer opinions or test reports. In the early days of the Internet, users searched the search engines mainly with one or two keywords. Short Tail was therefore initially much more important in worldwide search queries than it is today. Due to the increasing demands of users, the search engines were also constantly developing.

Short Tail Keywords and the search engines

As a company, especially if it is not a large one, it can often be difficult to make it findable in the search engines. It is not easy to achieve higher organic result rankings for short tail terms. The same applies to achieving good positions in paid search ads. It is better to concentrate your strategy on long tail keywords, then you can definitely achieve a desirable position. You can reach the right people and at much lower costs. Short tail terms almost always refer to very frequently used words, e.g. “ladies shoes”. They usually consist of one or two words. As users search these terms more often than the long tail keywords, they generate more traffic and are therefore more desirable. Long tail keywords, on the other hand, are less popular on their own, but are targeted at specific search queries and are also less competitive. As trends in digital marketing continue to change, many companies are increasingly shifting their focus to long tail keywords. One reason for this is that users are beginning to search online for more personal things, for example. Another component for the greater success of long tail keywords is the increase in audio search. Short Tail and Long Tail – both options have their strengths and weaknesses. The main advantage of short tail keywords is that they are, so to speak, comprehensive. For example, more people search for the word “branding” online than for “Berlin branding and digital marketing companies”. If youre looking for better brand reach as part of your SEO strategy, Short Tail Keywords will definitely give you the edge. They are versatile, flexible and allow you to get in touch with countless customers. But of course they are not as good as they seem. While they generate a lot of traffic, they are also incredibly competitive. In fact, the breadth of these keywords means that the company joins a long queue of other companies who are all trying to rank for the same term. After all, there are many other companies that want to generate high traffic with the word “branding”, for example. This means that it is very unlikely that you will end up at the top of the search engine results pages – unless you have potentially unlimited resources. While general keywords can significantly increase traffic, the visitors you get are also “general”. This means that all the attention you get does not necessarily come from the right people who are willing to convert. Excessive use of generic keywords basically means “smoke without a cigar.

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