How To Find Long Tail Keywords? 7 Methods And 8 Tools To Use In 2024

In our last blog about long-tail keywords, you can see how these terms rank easier on the search engine. Continuing this topic, we will reveal how to find long-tail keywords in this article. Whether you are a pro marketer or a beginner, these guides are valuable insights to help you succeed in the digital world. 

7 Methods To Find Long Tail Keywords

There are countless long-tail keywords you can try to target for your content. Of course, not all long-tail keywords are equal – here are some proven methods for finding the keywords most relevant to your visitors and readers.

1. Use Google Autocomplete

Here is how to find long-tail keywords without a paid tool: Use Google Autocomplete. As approximately 70% of consumers head to the search bar when they visit an online retailer’s site, Google Autocomplete becomes a powerful approach for exploring real-time user queries.

 Follow these steps:

Step 1: Enter a seed keyword related to your niche into the Google search bar.

Step 2: Pay attention to the autocomplete suggestions that Google provides. These suggestions are based on trending and relevant search queries related to your first keyword.

Step 3: Check the “People also ask” section on the search results page. 

Step 4: Move to the bottom of the page and look for the “Related Searches” section. Here, Google provides more keyword variations and queries that users frequently search for.

A pro tip is to take one of the keywords from the “Related Searches” section and enter it into Google. This approach helps you uncover dozens of specific and relevant long-tail keywords.

As Google Autocomplete is easy to use and free of charge, it is an efficient tool for finding popular keywords aligned with user search behavior. This method provides valuable insights without the need for guesswork, allowing you to build a comprehensive list of relevant keywords for your SEO strategy.

2. Use Question Modifiers

As the trend of users making questions directly to Google continues to rise, it’s crucial to adapt your approach to long-tail keyword research. When brainstorming queries that your target audience might ask, consider including question modifiers such as “what,” “how,” “where,” etc. 

These modifiers are critical in revealing people’s specific issues or concerns within your niche. As users increasingly favor searching in the form of questions, these words will likely tell more precisely what users seek and need. Adapting to these question-centric search behaviors on Google enables you to craft content that not only ranks well but also directly meets the needs of your audience.

For instance, you’re in the fitness niche and want to find long-tail keywords using question modifiers. Let’s add “how” before your main keyword, “weight loss,” into the Google search bar. What you get is a list of relevant keywords addressing the precise issues of your target audience:

3. Add Descriptive Terms

Another way to find long-tail keywords is to add descriptive terms related to your business or product. Should you sell umbrellas, add words like “blue,” “large,” or “heavy-duty” in your keywords. This step helps you capture a broader range of specific search queries.

Also, consider adding location details, such as “large heavy-duty umbrellas in Boston.” These terms are often used by people looking for products or services in a particular area. Moreover, including location qualifiers increases the chances of attracting visitors interested in local offerings, boosting the likelihood of conversion. 

This method enhances your keyword strategy and helps you stand out from the market by optimizing for specific and tailored search queries. However, managing a large set of keywords can become complex and time-consuming, especially for businesses with extensive product or service offerings.

Furthermore, descriptive terms may become outdated or lose relevance over time as user search behavior changes rapidly. Therefore, you must regularly adjust your keyword calendar and on-page SEO strategy.

4. Check Your Internal Site Search History

Now, the question is how to find long-tail keywords from the data available on your website. Maybe you don’t know, but your website’s internal search function can unveil valuable insights into user behavior. 

By analyzing the queries users input, you may discover specific products or niche questions they are interested in. This information is a goldmine for identifying potential long-tail keywords. 

To get this data and enhance your SEO strategy, review the queries users enter into your website’s internal search bar. Then, list recurring themes, specific products, or highly targeted questions.

Based on this list, you can understand users’ intent: What are they seeking? How can you satisfy their needs? You can even use these insights to create new pages on your website and create content that precisely addresses the user’s intent. By doing this, you are providing valuable and relevant information.

Remember that some internal search queries have low search volumes, limiting the overall traffic potential for your pages. Also, optimizing for numerous similar long-tail keywords could lead to keyword cannibalization issues and harm your website if not appropriately managed.

5. Research Your Competitors

A common method many marketers use is researching their competitors’ strategies using Google search and SEO tools. This method reveals the keywords they use for top rankings on the first SERP and improves your SEO research. 

You can use various tools to research your competitors and find long-tail keywords, such as Ahrefs, SEMrush, Google Keyword Planner, etc. We will dive further into these tools in the next section. 

Start with the main terms you want to rank for and analyze keyword variations on top-ranking pages. Add them to your content and enhance the overall quality of your pages. This approach helps you increase your chances of ranking higher, as well as discover new keywords and ideas. 

If you’re targeting “weight loss,” check the top-ranked page on Google and see what keywords your competitors use. 

As you see, there are different keyword variations of “weight loss” on top-ranking pages, such as “how to lose weight.” With support from SEO tools, you will have a thorough analysis, which will help you refine your on-page SEO strategy and stay competitive. 

However, competitors may have different goals, target audiences, or content strategies. Hence, using their keywords without considering your unique context might not bring the same results for your content. 

Moreover, what works for competitors today might not be as effective in the future. Therefore, you must learn from your competitors’s strategies while adapting to changes in the SEO world for long-term success.

6. Conduct A Gap Analysis

A gap analysis evaluates your website’s content to detect topics currently not addressed or where your ranking is lower. This process brings helpful insights into the specific topic areas and long-tail keywords you should target in your content.

Here’s how you can conduct a gap analysis:

Step 1: Analyze your existing articles and pages to find areas that you could improve or topics you haven’t cover.

Step 2: Look for gaps in information, potential updates, or opportunities to provide more comprehensive coverage.

Step 3: Use tools to check your keyword rankings and your performance for specific keywords.

Step 4: Compare your rankings with your competitors to identify which keywords need improvement.

Step 5: List keywords and topics relevant to your audience but not fully covered in your existing content.

By regularly performing a gap analysis, you can improve your content strategy to fulfill user expectations better and stay ahead of the competition. This method ensures your site covers the various topics relevant to your audience, maximizing your visibility and authority in your niche.

Yet, the effectiveness of this method relies on the accuracy of SEO tools. Therefore, you need a reliable and up-to-date tool and use gap analysis as one aspect of a broader strategy.

7. Browse Q&A Sites

Q&A sites like Quora, Yahoo Answers, Askville by Amazon, and LinkedIn Answers, are valuable sources for keyword ideas. Questions posted on these platforms are potential long-tail keywords because users use them to seek answers and information. 

The best thing is questions often use natural language, reflecting how people phrase their queries in search engines. It showcases the trend of voice search and conversational queries. Also, Q&A sites cover many topics, offering diversity in potential long-tail keyword ideas. 

However, remember that not every question found on Q&A sites is worth targeting, so it’s crucial to prioritize based on relevance and potential impact.

8 Tools For Finding Long Tail Keywords

After exploring how to find long-tail keywords using different methods, it’s time to check out the best tools available to help you do this task effectively.

1. Answer the Public

AnswerThePublic is a helpful tool for generating long-tail keyword suggestions. It unveils common questions associated with your seed keyword across social media, blogs, and forums. This tool provides valuable insights into user queries, helping marketers tailor their content to address specific and relevant topics.

Feature:

• The tool provides information by visualizing user queries through a web of questions, prepositions, and comparisons.
• Its user interface is friendly and easy to use, making it accessible for users with varying expertise in keyword research.
• The basic version of Answer the Public is free, making it ideal for budget-conscious users.
• One notable feature of AnswerThePublic is its ability to offer comparison keywords, such as “Instagram vs. Snapchat.” This feature opens up a valuable strategy for gaining visibility.

Drawback:

• AnswerThePublic lacks search volume data. That limits the tool’s ability to understand the potential reach and competition for specific keywords thoroughly. 
• The free version limits the number of daily searches, restricting extensive research for users with high-volume needs.
• The tool might not offer location-based insights, which could be a drawback for businesses targeting a niche audience in a particular geographic location.

Despite these drawbacks, AnswerThePublic remains a helpful resource for marketers seeking creative and varied long-tail keyword ideas.

2. SEMrush

SEMrush is a marketing toolkit renowned for its powerful keyword research feature. As an all-in-one solution, it offers numerous tools to support you in various aspects of digital marketing.

Feature:

• The tool simplifies the keyword research process and provides detailed data on their rankings across search engines. 
• It offers geographic location-based keyword searching, allowing you to tailor your strategies to specific regions. 
• Its competitive intelligence feature provides insights into the keywords your competitors are targeting. 
• SEMrush has a site audit tool that detects technical SEO issues and gives practical recommendations to improve overall site performance.

Drawback:

• Advanced features are limited to paid subscription plans. 
• Due to its extensive features, the platform requires new users to learn about it before using.
• The vast amount of SEMrush data can be overwhelming for beginners.

3. KWFinder

If you are a beginner wondering how to find long-tail keywords, consider KWFinder. This tool caters to a broad audience, making it an ideal choice for beginners while still giving value to more advanced bloggers. 

Feature:

• KWFinder is easy to use, enabling users to quickly generate dozens of low-competition keywords highly relevant to your site. 
• The tool provides an SEO difficulty score for each keyword – a valuable metric helping users measure the possibility of their site ranking for a particular term.
• KWFinder offers insights into competitors’ keyword strategies, helping you understand the competitive landscape within your niche.
• The tool provides a detailed analysis of SERPs, enabling you to keep up with the current ranking and performance of specific terms.
• Compared to other premium tools, KWFinder is affordable and suitable for low-budget users.

Drawback:

• You need a paid subscription to use KWFinder’s advanced features. 
• Compared to other tools, the tool offers a more limited number of keyword suggestions.
• The historical data available for keyword tracking in KWFinder is limited – a minus point for users requiring extensive historical analysis.
• KWFinder is primarily Google-SERP oriented. Using a different tool may be more suitable if your keyword strategy involves optimizing for search engines other than Google.

Beyond these drawbacks, KWFinder’s simplicity and effectiveness make it an ideal option for those looking to streamline their keyword research process. Before choosing a subscription, you can explore its advanced features through a free trial.

4. Google Trends

The following tool for finding long-tail keywords we want to introduce is Google Trends. It serves as a go-to tool for identifying the most popular keywords in real time or over specific periods. Designed by Google, this tool provides valuable data on online users’ current trends and interests.

Feature:

• Google Trends can showcase the popularity rotation of a certain keyword, revealing whether interest is on the rise or decline. 
• It provides real-time data, allowing users to stay current with the latest trends and changes in search interest.
• You can use the tool to compare two keywords side by side to understand how their popularity stacks up against each other. 
• The tool offers a filtering option that allows users to tailor their insights based on specific regions and subregions. 
• Trends are visually represented through charts and graphs, making it easy for users to analyze.
• This tool is free to use.

Drawback:

• Google Trends provides keyword popularity without showcasing detailed analytics or advanced features.
• The tool offers relative search interest rather than specific search volume numbers, making it less precise for quantitative analysis. 
• Unlike other keyword research tools, Google Trends does not provide metrics related to keyword difficulty, competition, or potential traffic.
• It emphasizes popular and trending queries, frequently overlooking less common or niche keywords.
• Google Trends does not offer competitor analysis features, so you can’t use it to analyze your competitors’ strategies.

5. Keywords Everywhere

How do you find the longtail keyword on both Chrome and Firefox? The answer is Keywords Everywhere – a convenient long-tail keyword tool due to its status as a browser extension. It simplifies the process of keyword research by seamlessly integrating it into users’ browsing experience.

Feature:

• Keywords Everywhere is a browser extension that provides a convenient and easily accessible tool for keyword research directly within the browser.
• The extension offers real-time data, instantly allowing users to see the latest search volume and related metrics.
• This tool offers essential data such as monthly search volume, CPC, and competition metrics for each keyword.
• Besides Google, Keywords Everywhere supports multiple search engines, enhancing its versatility for users who work across various platforms.
• It works on a credit-based system, making it cost-effective for users who do not prefer a subscription model.

Drawback:

• The free version of Keywords Everywhere has limited features, and you need to purchase credits for more extensive and detailed keyword data.
• The credit-based system requires users to continuously check on their credit balance, potentially leading to interruptions in service.
• Keywords Everywhere lacks comprehensive data compared to other keyword research tools.
• The extension primarily focuses on individual keywords and lacks robust features for competitor analysis.

6. GrowthBar

GrowthBar is a powerful tool for finding long-tail keywords and crafting SEO-friendly content. Featuring advanced AI writing abilities, this tool streamlines the process of generating engaging long-form blog posts.

Feature:

• This tool has an expansive database with over 2 billion keywords, making it one of the largest in the world. 
• GrowthBar provides crucial data, including related keywords, search volume, competitiveness, CPC, and a unique metric known as the “value of position one.” 
• It includes built-in audit features, offering insights into the optimization level of keywords and articles.
• The platform has a user-friendly interface, making it accessible even to SEO beginners.
• GrowthBar suggests relevant content ideas based on your target keywords and simplifies your content creation process.

Drawback:

• Its keyword database requires a paid subscription, with monthly plans starting at $29. 
• Although designed to be user-friendly, the platform’s features can still make it difficult for new users to use.
• GrowthBar is a Chrome extension, which means it is challenging to access for users who prefer other web browsers.

7. Keyword Tool

Keyword Tool goes beyond Google, using multiple search engines to provide users with numerous long-tail keyword ideas. It stands out for its ability to generate relevant suggestions across various topics through autocomplete features.

Features:

• The tool offers crucial data for each keyword, including total search volume, average trend, CPC, and competition. 
• Keyword Tool satisfies diverse content needs, making it a valuable resource for discovering long-tail keywords across different niches.
• With an intuitive design, this tool ensures a straightforward, user-friendly experience.
• There are different pricing plans that cater to different user needs and budgets.

Drawbacks:

• The free version offers limited keywords, requiring users toward the paid plans for more extensive options.
• The absence of search volume data in the free version may be a drawback for users heavily reliant on this information.

8. LongTailPro

Regarding the best tools to find long-tail keywords, LongTailPro stands out as an all-in-one SEO tool. With a focus on long-tail keywords, it has become a valuable resource for identifying specific, high-cost-per-click keywords, especially with paid advertising campaigns.

Features:

• LongTailPro excels in finding long-tail keywords related to a seed keyword, providing a comprehensive range of relevant terms.
• It provides a feature for daily keyword tracking, helping users stay updated on keyword performance over time.
• Users can use the tool to identify domain names rich in keywords, optimizing their online presence.
• The tool has a rank value metric that helps determine the profitability of keywords, guiding users in selecting the best options.

Drawbacks:

• LongTailPro’s list of features is not available for free. Users must pay for a paid subscription to access its full abilities.
• It primarily focuses on keyword research and may lack comprehensive features compared to all-in-one SEO platforms.
• As a cloud-based tool, LongTailPro requires a stable internet connection.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to find long-tail keywords for free?

You can find long-tail keywords for free using the abovementioned methods, such as Google Autocomplete and question modifiers. Then, combine the results with free SEO tools like Google Trends to refine your keyword strategy further.

Are long-tail keywords expensive?

Long-tail keywords have lower competition and ranking barriers on the SERP. Therefore, they tend to be more budget-friendly compared to short-tail keywords. Also, their high conversion rates can effectively decrease your cost-per-lead, turning them into a cost-efficient option.

How much does Google pay per click?

Google Ads pricing is influenced by various factors, leading to variations in costs. Typically, the average CPC for Google AdWords on the Search Network is $1 to $2. 

Final Thoughts 

Overall, long-tail keywords play a crucial role in the highly competitive world of search engine rankings. With the methods and tools we have shared above, you now know how to find long-tail keywords effectively. Finally, follow us – ROI Digitally for more valuable guides and boost your content strategy.