The Complete Guide to Long Tail Keywords and Keyword Research Tools

As a seasoned webmaster with over 15 years of experience in the SEO industry, I‘ve seen firsthand how targeting long tail keywords can impact organic traffic and conversions.

But with the right tools, finding those hidden long tail gems is easier than ever.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll be sharing my insider knowledge on:

• What long tail keywords are and why they matter
• Traits of highly effective long tail keywords
• A detailed comparison of the top 10 long tail keyword research tools

Let‘s get started.

What Are Long Tail Keywords?

Long tail keywords are more specific, longer keyword phrases that pinpoint user intent.

For example:

• "Best laptops for college students"
• "How to start a blog and make money"
• "Social media strategy for small business"

According to recent surveys, around 70% of Google searches are long tail keywords with 3 or more words.

Thus optimizing for long tails gives you access to a huge untapped keyword opportunity.

Why Should You Target Long Tail Keywords?

Here are 3 compelling reasons to go after long tail keywords:

1. Less Competition: Longer phrases have lower search volume, so fewer sites try to rank for them. This graph shows the massive difference in competition levels.

2. Increased Conversions: Long tails demonstrate high user intent. Recent studies show conversion rates are 6.5X higher for long tail vs short head terms.

3. SEO Ranking Factor: Pages targeting multiple long tails can rank higher. One study found pages ranking for ~20+ long tails get 2X more traffic.

Clearly, honing in on the right long tail niches can take your organic traffic to the next level.

Traits of High-Potential Long Tail Keywords

But how do you find those golden long tail opportunities?

Here are 3 tell-tale traits of profitable long tail keywords:

1. Specific User Intent

The keyword clearly signals user intent to buy or take action. For example:

• "Where to get PCR test near me"
• "Most comfortable bike seat for seniors"

2. Medium-High Search Volume

It has enough search volume to drive traffic but low enough to get ranked. Look for 500-2000 monthly searches.

3. Low Keyword Difficulty

This measures competitiveness to rank for a keyword. 20-40 KD range indicates easier long tails.

Tools like Ahrefs and Semrush (more below) help you identify keywords matching these traits.

Now let‘s compare the top long tail keyword generators to surface such opportunities.

10 Best Long Tail Keyword Research Tools

Over the years, I‘ve tested every major long tail keyword tool on the market.

Here are the 10 best options based on keyword data quality, features, and price:

1. Keyword Tool

Keyword Tool is a nifty free generator by Moz. It‘s a quick way to harvest basic long tail ideas.

How to use:

1. Go to keywordtool.io
2. Enter a topic keyword
3. Hit Enter and wait for results
4. Switch to Questions tab for long tails

Key Features:

• Free to use
• Fetch long tail keyword suggestions from Google
• Share and export keywords

Limitations:

• No keyword volumes or competition data
• Limited features compared to paid tools

Overall, Keyword Tool is a simple starting point to brainstorm potential long tail targets and topics to cover.

2. UberSuggest

UberSuggest is a free long tail keyword generator from Neil Patel. It offers keyword volumes and basic filters.

How to use UberSuggest:

1. Go to Neilpatel.com/ubersuggest/
2. Enter a root keyword
3. Click on Questions tab
4. Toggle Volume data on
5. Sort keywords by volume

Key Features:

• Free to use
• Get search volume estimates
• Filter keywords by location

Limitations:

• No keyword difficulty or CPC data
• Results can be hit or miss

UberSuggest is handy for some initial keyword volume research but lacks robust data.

3. Answer The Public

Answer The Public generates long-tail keyword questions people are already asking on search engines.

How to use it:

1. Go to answerthepublic.com
2. Type in your topic keyword
3. Scroll down to see questions
4. Hover over a question to highlight it

Key Features

• Surfaces popular search questions
• Easy to find long keyword questions to answer

Limitations:

• 500 searches/month limit on free version
• No analysis on volumes or difficulty

Overall, Answer The Public gives you real long-tail keyword ideas based on actual search queries. The free plan is quite generous.

4. Google Keyword Planner

Google‘s free Keyword Planner taps into their extensive search data to suggest long tail keywords.

How to use:

1. Go to ads.google.com/intl/en_in/home/tools/keyword-planner/
2. Sign in with your Google account
3. Enter keyword and location
4. Switch to Keyword Ideas section
5. Filter keywords by low competition

Key Features:

• Free access to Google keyword data
• Get search volume estimates
• Filter by competition

Limitations:

• Need a Google account to access
• No click data or keyword difficulty info

Keyword Planner is handy for mining basic long tail keywords but lacks some helpful metrics.

5. Semrush Keyword Magic Tool

Semrush is a robust paid SEO platform. Their Keyword Magic tool provides extensive long tail keyword data.

How to use:

1. Sign up for a Semrush account
2. Go to Keyword Magic
3. Enter main keyword
4. Filter keywords by difficulty

Key Features:

• Get search volume, CPC, and competitiveness data
• Filter and download keywords
• Track keyword ranking positions

Limitations:

• Paid tool costing $99+/month
• Data accuracy depends on Semrush crawler

Semrush provides premium long tail keyword research capabilities. The paid plans are worth it for serious SEO.

6. Ahrefs Keywords Explorer

Ahrefs is another robust SEO toolkit with excellent keyword research features.

How to use Ahrefs Keywords Explorer:

1. Sign up for an Ahrefs account
2. Go to Keywords Explorer
3. Enter seed keyword
4. Check the Questions report

Key Features:

• Get search volume, CPC and competitiveness metrics
• Track keyword ranking positions
• Comprehensive keyword research platform

Limitations:

• Premium tool starting at $99/month
• Crawler-based data like Semrush

For in-depth long tail keyword research, Ahrefs is a top-tier choice. The data depth justifies the pricing.

7. Soovle Keyword Tool

Soovle is a free keyword generator by Amazon. It suggests long tail variations using autocomplete data.

How to use Soovle:

1. Go to soovle.com
2. Enter base keyword
3. Review autocomplete suggestions
4. Scroll down to see related keywords

Key Features:

• 100% free to use
• Find keyword variations fast
• No account required

Limitations:

• No keyword metrics or filters
• Just a basic suggestion tool

Soovle is handy for quickly brainstorming related long tail keywords to target but lacks robust analysis features.

8. Google Related Searches

Google itself surfaces related long tail keyword ideas at the bottom of search results pages.

How to use it:

1. Search for a topic on Google
2. Scroll down to the bottom
3. Check Related Searches section
4. Look at People Also Ask questions

Key Features:

• Real suggestions based on searches
• Free and simple to check

Limitations:

• No ability to filter or analyze keywords
• Have to manually review keyword ideas

Despite limitations, Google Related Searches give you real long tail keywords people search without any tool needed.

9. KWFinder

KWFinder is a paid keyword research platform optimized for long tail discovery.

How to use:

1. Sign up for a KWFinder account
2. Enter base keyword
3. Browse suggested keyword list
4. Filter keywords by search volume

Key Features:

• Get search volume, CPC, Keyword Difficulty
• Keyword tracking
• Data from multiple sources

Limitations:

• Paid plans starting at $39/month
• Smaller keyword database than Ahrefs/Semrush

For dedicated long tail keyword research, KWFinder provides robust data and filtering tools without breaking the bank.

10. LSIGraph

LSIGraph makes finding low-competition long tails easy with its Opportunity Score.

How it works:

1. Sign up for LSI account
2. Enter keyword
3. Sort keywords by Opportunity Score
4. Select high scoring keywords

Key Features:

• Opportunity Score simplifies selection
• Emphasizes low-competition keywords
• Free 7-day trial

Limitations:

• Paid plans starting at $99/month
• Smaller database than major tools

For quickly identifying hidden long tail gems, LSIGraph‘s Opportunity Score system is quite effective.

Key Takeaways

• 70% of Google searches are long tail keywords – huge potential opportunity
• Target long tails with 500-2000 monthly searches & low competition for best results
• Leverage free tools like Keyword Tool and Google Keyword Planner to start
• Paid tools like Semrush and Ahrefs provide robust data for serious SEO
• Optimize for long tails matched to user intent to drive conversions

With the right tools and strategy, long tail keywords can transform your organic traffic. Give these generators a try to uncover your website‘s perfect long tail keywords.