Chasing the Search Tail
Although popular search words garner all the attention and adoration in the news, they only make up about 50% of all searches, according to Google estimates. The other 50% is made up of unique searches using specific phrases and wording, and makes up more than 100 million one-of-a-kind searches per day for Google alone.
The users who use these unique phrases in their queries make up the “search tail.” To illustrate this term, envision a graph. Search queries are plotted on the horizontal axis, while the frequencies of each query are plotted on the vertical axis. The most popular searches are at the far left side of the graph, while the fairly popular searches are next to them on the right, followed by less frequent searches further on the right, and finally followed by the one-of-a-kind queries on the far right of the graph.
At the left side of the graph are the very popular, but small number of queries that are frequently searched. However, the graph then flattens out into a long “tail” extending to the right that includes millions of less popular and unique queries. This tail section of the graph has a greater number of searches than the popular searches on the left of the graph, which makes for a potentially profitable opportunity for keen search marketers.
The question is now whether or not pursuing this search tail is worth all of the effort, time, and patience it requires.
At a recent Search Engine Strategies conference in Chicago, Pay-per-click experts Harrison Magun and Kevin Lee discussed the search tail and some of its implications. Magun is vice president of Avenue A | Razorfish Search, while Lee is the executive chairman and co-founder of Did-It.com.
Lee said that the search graph that as described above relates to a buying cycle. Basically, consumers at the beginning of their buying process are most likely in the head, or left side of the graph. In this area of the graph consumers will search using one or two-word queries, as they conduct very basic research. As they learn more about what they are searching for they gradually move toward the right side of the graph, until they enter the very end of the tail, where they run queries using specific and longer phrases.
This concept is important to note because it indicates that consumers located in the search tail are usually close to making a purchase or taking a course of action.
Search engines have developed technology that helps marketers to advertise across keyword variations. Yahoo!, for example, has its Advanced Match service available. If a marketer broad matches on the keyword “television,” their ad will display not only for searches on “television,” but may also turn up for searches on “television show,” “40 inch flat panel television,” and “cable television,” among other more unique and specific searches.
Lee reminded advertisers to fully understand how different search engines position ads based on these types of matches before lunging headlong into this area. Yahoo! rewards advertisers who expand their keyword lists to take into account search phrases located in the search tail. They will always place an ad that is a precise match with a query above an ad that is only a broad match, regardless of bid amount. Google and MSN, on the other hand, do not take into account match types when positioning ads. Instead, ad placement on these search engines is dependent only on bid amount, popularity, and relevance.
Though the search tail holds great potential for profitability for search marketers, it also entails more difficulty. Also, keywords should not take the spotlight off of other important factors in pay-per-click advertising, including ad copy, a reliable bidding strategy, and securing pages. The search tail is an interesting area of the graph that might deserve more attention from search marketers who have time, energy, funds, and patience to spare.
Source:
searchday/article.php/3579396
