What distinguishes long-tail keywords from short-tail keywords?

Long-tail keywords are distinguished from short-tail keywords primarily by their length, specificity, and search volume. Short-tail keywords are typically short phrases (one to three words), broad in scope, and have high search volume. For example, 'shoes' or 'coffee'. Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases (typically four or more words) that reflect a more focused search intent and have lower search volume. An example of a long-tail keyword would be 'best organic fair trade coffee beans online'. Long-tail keywords, while having lower individual search volume, often convert better because they target a more specific audience with a clearer intent.