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How-to guide · 5 steps

How to Find Long-Tail Keywords (With Real Examples)

Long-tail keywords are where most SEO wins happen, especially for new sites. They're longer, more specific, and far less competitive than head terms. For a new site, a long-tail-first plan is often the most realistic way to start earning search traffic. Here's how to find them systematically.

From head term to long tail

  1. Head term "keyword tool": huge, vague intent, hard to rank.
  2. Modifier added "keyword tool for blogs": narrower audience.
  3. Question form "which keyword tool is best for a new blog": intent is obvious.
  4. Long tail Fewer searches each, but easier to match exactly and often closer to a decision.
Specificity can clarify intent. Long-tail means low search frequency, not a fixed word count or guaranteed low difficulty.

  1. Step 1: Use 'Questions' and 'Prepositions' filters in your keyword tool

    Most keyword tools let you filter by question words (who, what, where, how, why) or prepositions (for, with, without). These filters surface exactly the kind of specific queries your audience is typing — and they're almost always lower difficulty.

    Tool for this stepSemrush

    from $139/mo

    Semrush's Keyword Magic Tool has a dedicated Questions filter that isolates question-based long-tail keywords, so a single seed term can produce a list of specific targets.

    Semrush plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Ubersuggest (price not verified)

  2. Step 2: Mine Google's 'People Also Ask' and autocomplete

    Type your main keyword into Google and note every autocomplete suggestion that appears. Then click a result and look at the 'People Also Ask' box — every question there is a long-tail keyword that Google is actively surfacing.

    Tool for this stepMangools

    from $49/mo

    KWFinder's related keywords panel pulls in autocomplete and related terms automatically, so you don't have to do this manually for every seed.

    Mangools plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: KeySearch (from $24/mo)

  3. Step 3: Filter for keywords with 4+ words and low KD

    In your keyword tool, set a minimum word count of 4 and a maximum keyword difficulty of 20-25. This is the long-tail sweet spot. You'll find specific phrases with clear intent and real search volume that most competitors haven't targeted.

    Tool for this stepLowFruits

    from $29.90/mo

    LowFruits specialises in surfacing weak SERP results — which directly corresponds to long-tail keywords you can realistically rank for without a strong domain.

    LowFruits plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Mangools (from $49/mo)

  4. Step 4: Analyse competitor rankings for their long-tail pages

    Run a competitor's domain through a backlink/keyword tool and filter their ranking pages by those with low traffic but high page count — these are usually long-tail content pages. If they're ranking for them, you can too.

    Tool for this stepAhrefs

    from £23/mo

    Ahrefs' Site Explorer shows the keywords it has recorded a competitor ranking for. Filter by position 1-10 and volume 50-500 to find their strongest long-tail pages, then create better versions.

    Ahrefs plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: Serpstat (from $69/mo)

  5. Step 5: Validate intent before writing

    Not all long-tails are equal. Search the keyword yourself and check whether the results are informational (blog posts), commercial (comparison pages), or transactional (product pages). Match your content type to what's already ranking.

    Tool for this stepSemrush

    from $139/mo

    Semrush's Keyword Overview shows search intent categorisation alongside volume and difficulty — saving you the guesswork of manual SERP inspection.

    Semrush plans and catches

    Alternative to consider: SE Ranking (from £95/mo)