10 replies to this topic

[websage]

The 7 most used word phrases (in terms of number of words) in search engines on the web are:

1. 2 word phrases 32.58%
2. 3 word phrase 25.61%
3. 1 word phrases 19.02%
4. 4 word phrases 12.83%
5. 5 word phrases 5.64%
6. 6 word phrases 2.32%
7. 7 word phrases 0.98%

For more: http://www.onestat.c...pressbox27.html

<added> A chart comparing the results from 2004 and 2003:



</added>

Edited by websage, 03 February 2004 - 03:55 PM.

[qwerty]

But I'd say it's the ones using 3- and 4-word phrases (and more) who know exactly what they're looking for and are ready to become customers.

[Grumpus]

I wasn't able to find last year's statistics to compare those to, but if I remember correctly, the gap between two words and three words was much larger last year - and much smaller again than the year before that. That, to me, is the key factor of that survey. I'll see if I can find some numbers from previous years later today (unless someone else happens to find them first, hint, hint). It's interesting to stop and look where we are, but it's useful to stop and see where we are going.

G.

[websage]

Here is from last year's report:

The 7 most used word phrases in search engines on the web are:

1. 2 word phrases 29.22%
2. 1 word phrase 24.76%
3. 3 word phrases 24.33%
4. 4 word phrases 12.34%
5. 5 word phrases 5.43%
6. 6 word phrases 2.21%
7. 7 word phrases 0.94%

http://www.onestat.c...pressbox20.html

Clearly, 3-word phrases are growing in popularity. Good to keep in mind when optimizing :-)

[Ruud]

3 word searches rank #1 through #11 on my site. That is out of a top 40 of search phrases. And that number has been consistent since September 2002.

I think most of us have started out as 2 word searchers. Then the spam hit us. It doesn't take long for a surfer to realize/find out/experience that 3 words (and more) deliver much more relevant results.

As a statistic it's interesting. But what it tells us...?

Ruud

[Grumpus]

Ahhh - nice find on last year's stuff. The biggest change is in the decline of 1 word searches. This shows that searchers are (slowly, but surely) getting more savvy. One word searches are always "general" (like "Google"). Two word searches can be one of two things: A general term that takes 2 words to describe (like "web design") or Something General modified with a qualifier (like "Google Ranking"). Three words are pretty much all "general with 1 or 2 qualifiers" (like "web design forum" or "Google Ranking Tutorial").

This trend (if we can actually establish a real trend with only two sets of data) leads us to believe that it's not so much the "count of words" in a search, but a trend toward more "general with a qualifier" type searches.

Well, at least that's what I'm getting from it...

G.

[websage]

I bet the number of keyword phrases varies among different search engines. I am sure Ask Jeeves has a higher number of multiple-word phrases as they emphasize their English-language queries.

By the way Ask Jeeves finally made money (Feb 2004) for the first time since 1996 :-)

[Jill]

Ahhh - nice find on last year's stuff. The biggest change is in the decline of 1 word searches. This shows that searchers are (slowly, but surely) getting more savvy.

Was just gonna say that, but I see G beat me to it again. Sheesh, between Grumpus and OldWelshguy, I'm not even needed around here any more!

Jill

[DanThies]

How many of the one and two word searches are a company name, a person's name, or some doofus typing "google" in the Google toobar to find Google.com? People actually search for "Yahoo" on Yahoo, don't they?

[mcanerin]

I see that a lot - actually, I hear it over the phone a lot.

Me: OK, now type in www.site.com
Them: ok
Me: Is it there?
Them: yes, it's up now
Me ok, click on the downloads section
Them: I don't see a downloads section
Me: What do you see?
Them: <begins reading off a MSN SERP>
Me: No! Wait! you need to type the domain into the address bar at the top of your browser, not in the search bar
Them: what's an address bar?

This goes on for a really long time... <sigh>

Ian

[Randy]

Oh, Ian I forgot to tell you...

Those are all my family members. They were taking up too much of my time so I told them to call you.

That's almost something I'd do, cept I'm not that mean. Why just yesterday my mother called me because "I cant use my Eudora. It's broke and all of the icons disappeared!" Thank goodness most of it is stuff I can explain over the phone rather than having to make a special trip for 2 seconds of work.