Over 90% of Search Queries Are Now Long-Tail

According to the latest statistics, 91.8% of search queries are long-tail. Long-tail and question-based searches also have a much higher conversion rate, often up to 36%. Question-based searches have grown quite significantly, as people turn more to voice searches.

Source: Pexels

Natural Language Processing Has a Major Role to Play

Voice assistants have largely contributed to this shift, as speaking naturally tends to result in longer searches. Improvements in natural language processing now mean that search engines are better at understanding the intent behind conversations. 

Traditional SEO involved ranking for keywords like “4K televisions,” but natural language search advancements have led to people being more specific in their intent. People are now using voice search for terms like “what TV is best for 4K gaming?” Longer searches like this provide much more information about someone’s intent, and as AI is primarily focused on catering to questions, it’s caused a shift where focusing on long-tail keywords is now a much more viable strategy. Long-tail keywords and phrases may get fewer searches when compared to broader terms, but variations of them can potentially appear for thousands of searches.

If a travel page targets hotels in New York, then the same page can answer questions like “hotels near Madison Square Garden” and “cheap hotels near Central Park”. A website that sells running shoes can target the primary keyword, as well as “best running shoes for marathons” and “what running shoes are suited to beginners”. 

This can be applied to digital entertainment. A British casino online may offer blackjack games, like Premium Blackjack and Cashback Blackjack. Targeting keywords like this is essential, but adding comprehensive content at the bottom of the page that addresses questions, like “Can I play online casino games on mobile?” is a good way to establish the subject of the page, while answering long-tail, specific queries that may surround the core topic.

Answering Search Intent with Long-Tail Keywords

A strong page should start with a single, primary keyword, and then expand into long-tail, broader terms. The important thing to remember here is that variations have to be useful, rather than being inserted for SEO alone. Repeating versions of a keyword adds little value if the page isn’t addressing search intent. 

Natural language processing has made it easier for search engines to connect intent with words, and as search becomes more conversational, the way that websites explain their products and services will change as well.

Rather than searching on highly competitive keywords, businesses now use specific searches that reflect the way people naturally ask questions. This creates more opportunities to rank for different queries while providing users with information that better matches what they are actually looking for. Tone of voice is becoming more important as well. Copy will start leaning towards being naturally conversational, rather than being a sales pitch. AI overviews also lean more toward short, punchy content, which is influencing website copy as brands try to find more ways to rank in the AI-driven era of SEO.