Does it make sense to pursue long-tail keywords with low search volume

[Scratch_MM]

Hi Moz community,

I need your insight into what would ensure better rankings. Some of the pages that I am optimizing are dedicated to niche products targeting specific verticals and the main keywords have really low average search volume (below 50). I'll give you an example (these are not the exact keywords, just an example to illustrate my dilemma): if my long-tail keyword is "student information management software" with search volume of 20, when do I stand better chances to gain search visibility: by optimizing the page for this long-tail keyword and incorporating it in the title tag, or by pursuing more generic keywords with higher search volume: "student" and "information management software"? If I am targeting short-tail keywords, will the page also rank for long-tail searches that are a combination of these keywords? In other words, which scenario gives better chances to rank higher: 1) pursuing short-tail keywords with high search volume in the title-tag 2) pursuing fewer long-tail keywords with lower search volume that are a combination of those in scenario 1?

Thanks in advance for your help!

[TheSymmetran]

long tail keywords tend to come up with much much better quality leads, meaning they will be less likely to bounce from your site.

Long tail keywords also tend to have less lookups and cheaper ad cost for the same reason, but again, are highly accurate when they do end up showing up as part of your ad campaign or as an organic result. There is less competition for them too oftentimes.

[LoganRay]

Yes, it definitely is beneficial to attack long-tail keywords in your content strategy. This chart is my go-to point of reference any time this topic comes up. It very clearly illustrates the need for long-tail targeting in a comprehensive SEO strategy. Not to mention, your competitors are most likely NOT putting the time and effort into it, so you can get some pretty big wins in that regard.

[KevinBudzynski]

I would pursue optimized long-tail landing pages as long as you have resources and the page provides value.

For example, you noted "student information management software" &  "information management software". If you only offer "student information management software" and no other, you should optimized for that page with those terms. If your company offers many types of "information management software", these should link to the different types (including student) on child pages. By doing so, you will have a chance for two pages to appear in the serps. In my experience, since these long-tail landing pages convert much higher because of less competition (see Logan's chart), the resources are typically worth it.  Furthermore, since these long-tail landing pages are more optimized, your Quality Score will be higher in PPC and you will pay less and better visibility of your ad. Good luck!

[Scratch_MM]

Logan, big thanks for your answer. This has been our understanding as well, so you validated our approach. Do you optimize the page copy and the title tag for the same long-tail keywords, or in the title tag you go for more generic terms/ high-level topics?

[LoganRay]

No problem!

Optimize for the long-tail keyword in question. Going more generic with your on-page elements and content is likely to dilute your other pages. You can use generic terms in content, but treat those as opportunities for internal linking, pointing generic keywords towards the page you're targeting for that particular generic term.

[Scratch_MM]

Kevin, thanks for your answer! In fact, my question is more around organic search, not PPC, but good observation on the quality score as well! What about when you are optimizing pages targeting specific verticals - this means that the search volume of the keywords will be even lower. Let's say my page is about mobility solutions for the healthcare vertical. If I pursue "mobility solutions" and "healthcare" separately (keywords with really high search volume), won't I also capture the searches for "healthcare mobility solutions" (low search volume)?

[KevinBudzynski]

Yes, they will. However, Google will weigh the exact phrase differently. If all other factors are removed, Google will likely rank the optimized page with the long tails higher as opposed to the keywords being fragmented. Do a query of the long-tail to see if any result pops up for the exact phrase (using quotes). If you see many pages that come up, probably an indication of value and create an optimized page.

[Scratch_MM]

Yes, this makes sense! Big thanks for sharing your insights, Kevin!