Search Phrases Are Getting Longer
Still trying to capture those one, two or three word search results? Well, keep on trying, but don’t forget about longer search queries. Data from Hitwise (via MarketingCharts) shows that the number of words in the average US search query is rising. Longer searches - with an average of five or more words - increased 10% overall in January 2009 vs. January 2008.
What might have been even more surprising was the change in searches of eight words or more. This section was up 22%! The kicker is that over the same time period, shorter queries from one to four words actually decreased 2%.
Most likely the cause for this is shared between users getting more experienced in their search patterns and the overwhelming amount of clutter on the web requiring more detailed results.
Regardless, there are a whole slew of phrases that you can potentially capture. Don’t forget to include longer phrases the next time you’re doing your keyword research.
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