How Unique Search Queries Can Upset Digital Marketing Strategies

About eight years ago, it was discovered that searchers were using four-word key phrases more than single keywords. Many digital marketing specialists realised that these longer phrases were converting into leads and sales at a much higher rate than phrases of smaller lengths.

As the search behaviour of people using search engines evolved, it became more and more difficult for search engines to predict user search queries, through features like Google Suggest. By 2008, it was learnt that around one-fifth of Google queries were either brand new phrases that had never been used in the past, or queries that had not been used in the previous six months. Two years later, in 2010, this figure rose to one-third of queries.

Only digital marketing campaigns based on comprehensive data can have a stable base. The main resources used by digital marketing experts for building keyword lists are online keyword generating tools. Unfortunately, these keyword tools are based on data from past queries, and are hence not very efficient.

In 2008, if you used keyword generation tools to select keywords for your digital marketing strategy, you would be able to capitalize on four-fifths (20 percent) of the search market. In 2010, the growing number of unique searches led to this share decreasing to two-thirds of the market (67 percent). The question being asked by marketers is what would ensue if this pattern were to continue? If more and more people begin searching for unique queries, it won't be long before keyword research based on past queries completely loses its utility.

If you take into account statistics by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, which says that 82 percent of web traffic starts on a search engine, the scenario becomes more complex. We can deduce that if search engines continue to remain the largest generator of traffic to businesses engaged in digital marketing campaigns, then marketers will be shocked by the lack of results their keywords are generating.

In such a situation, it is important for digital marketing specialists to extend keyword research beyond online keyword research tools. Experts in this field suggest combing forums, blogs, social media websites, online encyclopaedias, thesauruses, and even interviewing customers to help build a comprehensive list from where to select key phrases for a particular digital marketing campaign.

This could be a long-drawn gruelling process, but the next wave of winners comprises those who smartly find efficient ways to integrate research data and keywords effectively.

Qudos Digital is a leading digital marketing agency and can be contacted on 020 8891 2077 or info@qudosdigital.co.uk.

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