Hitwise revealed this month the continuing growth of user search which includes 3+ keywords;
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| Subject | August 2009 | September 2009 | Month-over-month percent change |
| One word | 24.21% | 24.32% | 0% |
| Two words | 23.71% | 23.55% | -1% |
| Three words | 20.74% | 20.52% | -1% |
| Four words | 13.78% | 13.69% | -1% |
| Five words | 7.90% | 7.94% | 1% |
| Six words | 4.23% | 4.30% | 2% |
| Seven words | 2.27% | 2.33% | 3% |
| Eight or more words | 3.16% | 3.35% | 6% |
Whilst 1 and 2 keyword search accounts for nearly 48% of all search queries, the true growth is in the level of detailed search that is now taking place on Google. 10% of users now search using six or more key terms…. these really are the guys that know exactly what they want – Your Target Market
Add this to the further 21% who search using terms of 4 or 5 keywords and we’re now looking at a healthy 31% of the total search market.
The chance of a single word term search providing you relevant search results is like searching for a needle in a haystack
So, what does this mean to the UK business owner? Well, traditionally in terms of search use, the UK market closely follows the trend patterns announced in the US. We can safely say that 30% of your target market are using specific terms (4+ words) to find what they’re looking for.
This has huge implications for your SEO and PPC strategy. The focus has shifted from “keyword” SEO to “key phrase” SEO. You know longer simply need to understand the words that your users are searching for, you need to match the phrases too.
Now, more than ever, your Search strategy needs to adopt savvier methods in order to increase your search presence. You need to be thinking outside of the traditional Meta and Title data for your pages. You need to construct your search offering through careful datamining and analytics to truly understand your market place… and your customers.
Forget packing your site full of keywords… it simply doesn’t wash with Google anymore. If you saw the lineups of oval headed individuals managing todays Google algarithm you’d understand why.
Search Marketing has developed at the rate that User intelligence has evolved. People are frustrated by not finding their requirements using simple 1 or 2 word search terms. They still do it… 50% still do it, but are these necessarily your target audience? The savvier google searcher now knows to include Geo-targetting (eg. “buy widgets northampton”) in order to find what they’re looking for. Savvy users equate to users who are more au fait with online purchasing and online communication. Search usage and the marketing techniques you need to employ closely shadow the 80/20 principle… focus on that core part of your audience….
