The Story Behind LongTail.com

My journey began when I was just 12 years old—learning how to make websites from scratch, diving into everything I could about the internet, and earning my first dollars through online ads. Those early experiments eventually turned into a lifelong passion.

During college, I came across a book that profoundly shaped the direction of my work: The Long Tail by Chris Anderson. It introduced me to a powerful idea—that the internet makes it possible for countless niche products and interests to find their audience. Most importantly, they’re often less competitive, offering fertile ground for creative entrepreneurs.

Over the years, I’ve applied the long tail strategy in domain investing, keyword marketing, and niche site development. This approach changed my life and led me to build my career around it. In a twist of fate, I even acquired this very domain—LongTail.com—from Chris Anderson himself.

Let me give you two real-world examples. First, Gomoku.com. Chess is the "head" of strategy games, with platforms like Chess.com boasting over 100 million registered users. Gomoku, a simpler yet captivating game popular in Asia, is the "long tail," with a dedicated audience of around 10 million. While smaller, 10 million players is still a significant market. By focusing on serving this niche exceptionally well, I believe it’s possible to create meaningful success.

Another example is MontSaintMichel.com. France, with over 100 million visitors a year, is the "head" of global tourism. Mont-Saint-Michel, a magical island in France that attracts 3 million visitors annually, represents the "long tail." Instead of competing for broad “France travel” searches, I’ve created the most in-depth online guide to this enchanting destination. With less competition than broad France tourism searches, this focus allows me to stand out in the vast online landscape and rank prominently.

That’s the beauty of the long tail—find your niche, do it well, and great things can happen.