Search Engine Marketing continues to become huge. No one is afraid to purchase goods or services online anymore, and credit cards around the globe are smoking due to overuse. Businesses are rushing to get their sites in front of target markets, and PPC and SEO efforts are becoming more common with each passing day. As searchers and advertisers have become more sophisticated, so has the specificity of utilized search terms - so much in fact, that a recent report by OneStat.com revealed that only 11% of search engine users enter only one keyword during searches.

“28.91 percent of the people use 2 word phrases, 27.85 percent use 3 word phrases and 17.11 percent use 4 word phrases. Less and less people use now 1 keyword since the last measurement in July 2005.“

Several assumptions can be made based on this percentage data. First of all, users are targeting their searches more than they have in the past. For example - “size 6 pink rollerskates” is far more likely to be used than simply “rollerskates“. People have been shopping on the internet for several years now, and their habits and comfort levels have changed as a result. To counter more specific searches, advertisers have increased their level of keyword research to cast a wider net. This has caused an increase in the bid price for words that formerly were only being bid on by a small amount of advertisers - or not at all. Less and less ’sweet spots’ exist these days, as PPC managers are compiling more comprehensive keyword inventories.

In short, keyword iterations have become more sophisticated. Different users will search for the same thing using a wide variety of terms. An individual looking for a hotel in New Hampshire, for example, may utilize all of the following:

• New Hampshire Hotel
• NH Hotel
• Nashua Hotel
• Nashua New Hampshire Hotel
• NH Red Roof Inn
• Red Roof Inn Nashua

To truly know their market and customers, PPC campaign managers have to be aware of and react to these changes in search habits. Targeted searches are more likely to convert to sales, but unfortunately for advertisers, high-converting, relevant and cheap keywords are steadily going the way of the dodo. It’s becoming more and more important to do your keyword homework to find the best ROI and value for your search marketing dollar.

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