In recent years, voice search has gradually been taking the ground in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and it is now deemed to be the next big thing in the digital marketing world. In fact, more and more people are starting to use their voices for their online search because they are getting comfortable with this trend and finding it quite convenient, and a HubSpot survey supports this.

Know that when it comes to SEO, keywords serve as the core component. This is why keyword research is a vital part of your overall SEO process. However, there’s often a line drawn for keywords used between regular search and voice search. This is because the latter tends to favor long-tail keywords.

In this article, we will share the difference between short-tail and long-tail keywords. Keep on reading to see what to use for your voice SEO!

Short-tail vs. long-tail keywords

Let’s take a look at the major differences between the two based on their definitions. Take note of the following:

  • Short-tail keyword: This keyword is merely a word or a two-word phrase. For instance, a business name can be a perfect example, such as “The Local Plumber.” This phrase is very broad, which describes exactly what your business is and does.

 

  • Long-tail keywords: This keyword is the exact opposite of the former, as it contains three or more words in its phrase. For example, you can use, “The Local Plumber in Boston, MA,” as your long-tail keyword. This is more specific, which may sound like a natural conversation whenever you’re talking to someone.

The impact of keywords on voice search

When it comes to regular online searches on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) environment, short-tail keywords are very much preferred. This is because users will simply type in a word or short phrase when looking for information online. But on the other hand, voice search undoubtedly favors long-tail keywords because people use natural language when looking for information via voice search. For this reason, you must be highly critical and selective of the words or phrases you’ll integrate into your content or website. As always, keyword research is the key to have a successful implementation.

The rising popularity of voice search

We can no longer deny the rising popularity of voice search over the past years. Today, we see people using voice search via their mobile devices or phones, and this is made possible through the emergence of Siri, Amazon Echo, Google Assistant, and Cortana.

When it comes to keywords, voice search has become such a game-changer. For instance, you no longer need to type in “local plumber in Boston.” Instead, you can simply utter, “the best local plumber for renovation in Boston.” Do you see the difference?

If you want to keep up with the voice search trend, you must start doing your homework and optimizing your content and site for your voice SEO. As voice search is the future, your business must start now to be ahead of the competition!

Conclusion

At this point, you now know the difference between short-tail and long-tail keywords. Be sure to consider the valuable information discussed above for your voice SEO and conduct keyword research and incorporate the right terms on your content or website. Ultimately, working with a highly reliable SEO service will help kick your voice SEO up a notch!

As one of the best SEO companies in the US, we offer professional SEO services that include on-site optimization, quality link building, and weekly content with voice search optimization solutions. If you’re looking to incorporate the right keywords optimized for voice search, sign up with us today for more affordable plans!