Short-tail keywords
These keywords are generic, popular, broad and offer lots of search traffic. Short-tail keywords are one or two words but are very competitive (read: very difficult to rank for).
Examples:
- Running shoes
- Botox
- SEO services
Middle Tail
Mid-tail keywords will have more words than short-tail and fewer than long-tail keywords. Obvious, right? The thing about mid-tail keywords is that they’re a little more specific and will be less difficult to rank for in some cases.
We say “in some cases because, as everything goes in SEO, “it depends” on competitiveness of the niche – who’s writing and ranking, etc.
Examples:
- Senior Center Connecticut
- SEO services NYC
- Black running shoes
Long Tail
Long-tail keywords are much longer, can often be less difficult to rank for and may have lower competition. Additionally, these terms become very specific. Although these types of terms have limited search traffic, they’re useful for targeting a specific audience or topic and can be excellent for:
Examples:
- “Why keyword research is important in SEO”
- “What type of therapist can prescribe medication”
- “Can you be anorexic and not be underweight”