How should different types of websites use long-tail keywords?

Different websites should choose long-tail keywords based on their resources, audiences, and goals. New sites can start by focusing on specific needs, while established sites can expand their content around core keywords. Ecommerce sites should align keywords with products and categories, while niche and B2B sites should address specialized questions and purchasing stages. The point is not to make search phrases longer, but to use suitable pages to meet searchers’ needs. Lower search volume and potentially less competition do not guarantee quick rankings or sales.

New and established websites: choose your focus based on resources

When time and budgets are limited, there is no need to pursue only popular keywords. A 2024 Welly article illustrates the trade-offs in choosing keywords with “skincare product recommendations” and the more specific “skin-brightening toner recommendations.” The latter may have lower search volume, but it reflects a clearer need. You still need to check whether it fits your business.

• Newly launched websites: Start with more specific long-tail topics alongside a small number of core keywords, rather than committing all your resources to highly competitive popular terms.
• Websites with steady traffic: Develop core topics and expand the content to cover related long-tail needs.

This is a phased approach suggested by Welly in 2021, not a search engine requirement or a guarantee of traffic growth.

Ecommerce sites and sites with extensive product ranges: use page hierarchy to address specific needs

Sites selling products can use long-tail keywords in product descriptions or blog posts, but should first determine whether searchers are looking for products or buying advice. Semrush’s 2023 ecommerce article recommends strategically combining different types of keywords rather than relying on just one type across the entire site.

Sites with extensive product ranges can also use categories to match different pages to more specific search needs. Semrush’s car dealership guide from the same year gives an example: the homepage targets searches for dealerships in a region, the next level targets local new-car searches, and deeper pages address more specific vehicle criteria. A deeper hierarchy can help organize a large range of vehicles, but not every website needs more levels. Navigation must remain clear so that users and search engines can reach the deepest pages.

Niche and B2B websites: identify the audience, then distinguish decision-making stages

Websites serving specific groups should not select keywords based solely on search volume. A 2024 niche SEO article on Neil Patel’s website notes that these sites have narrower audiences and typically rely more on low-volume and long-tail keywords. Their potential traffic may also be lower, however.

If the goal is to reach buyers, keywords can be further grouped by product features, customer size, and evaluation needs. Tenten’s 2025 B2B recommendations are:

• Use blog posts or educational content to address research and comparison needs.
• Use product or sales pages to address searches with stronger intent to act, such as those mentioning prices or quotes.

These modifiers can offer clues to search intent, but not all long-tail searches should be treated as signs of an imminent purchase.

Content websites: find topics in audience questions rather than simply copying suggested terms

A 2021 Welly article recommends regularly monitoring the forums your target audience uses and the news they read, then developing content around recurring questions. Search predictions can also provide inspiration. However, a Backlinko article cautions that suggested terms do not show search volume or ranking difficulty and may be influenced by location and search history. Treat these suggestions as a starting point for research, then assess demand and competition, rather than using them directly as a list of topics to publish.

At Procrustes, our content services also turn questions that genuinely matter to customers into articles, with ongoing content planning, writing, and updates.