Target long-tail or head terms on a brand-new site?

Target long-tail or head terms on a brand-new site?
Q: New domain, zero authority. Go for big keywords or tiny ones?

A: Short answer: long-tail almost exclusively for the first 6-12 months.

Longer answer: head terms are gatekept by sites with years of links and trust — a new domain can't crack them no matter how good the post is, so you'd be writing for nobody. Long-tail queries (4+ words, specific intent) have thin competition, clearer intent, and convert better. So you stack early wins on specific questions, each one builds a little trust, and that accumulated relevance is what eventually lets you reach for the mid and head terms.

Think of long-tail as the down payment that buys you the right to compete for the big stuff later.

Anyone want me to go deeper on this? React 👍