Search engine user clicks tend to present higher conversion rates the longer the keyword phrase. Looking at data from high-traffic keyword phrases the study found conversion rates grew the longer the keyword string, peaking at four words. The results were the same in all three months studied.
A recent study from DoubleClick and comScore Networks found that the vast majority of clicks on searches did not result from searches that included merchants’ brand names, but rather generic searches.
In its new Search Engine Marketing report, eMarketer reports, “No matter how users construct the search query, whether by focus or keyword length, the likelihood of relevant results is decreased by the low usage of advanced search features on search engines. In fact, one in five North American Internet users never use the more complex advanced search feature – which allows for more detailed and focused searches. And nearly half of all users rarely use this feature. The suggestion here is to bid mainly on keywords that will serve up results even without usage of advanced search capabilities.”