A long-tail keyword is a very targeted search phrase that contains three or more words. It often contains a head term, which is a more generic search term, plus one or two additional words that refine the search term.

e.g. a shorter (and more competitive search phrase) = “Hawaiian cruise”; a longtail search = “single mom Hawaiian cruise”, or “single parents cruise Hawaii”

shorter = “organic coffee”, longtail = “organic coffee vs. regular coffee”, or “why pick organic coffee” or “is organic coffee better for you”

shorter = “summer reading selections”; longtail = “summer reading selections philadelphia schools”, “summer reading selections philadelphia library”, “what should my child read for summer reading”