Search habits

People are better-educated, but is it enough?

[trillianjedi]

Looking at my log files over the last couple of years, and seeking out basic search trends, the one thing that strikes me is the number of 3 and 4 word search queries seems to have increased quite dramatically over single word search queries.

It seems to me that the internet public are better educated now about how to use a search engine to their best advantage. The search queries I get in my logs, on checking, produce high quality relevant results. Even in traditionally "spammy" areas of search.

I also think it's time the major engines started to make the advanced features more prominent and immediate. The "search within these results" feature on most engines is one of my most used, but it's still generally buried at the bottom of the SERPS. How many people out there don't even know it exists?

All the big players seem to be concentrating so much on the SPAM issue that I think sometimes they forget about their ability to educate the user to better find what they need for themselves, rather than forcing them, by lack of education, to rely on their algorithms.

We mention this one a lot around here:-

“Give a man a fish and you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime” —Author unknown

Why does that not seem to apply to search?

TJ

[jomaxx]

I think most people just find it faster and more flexible to adjust their simple search criteria. Personally I never use "search within these results", and except for the site: operator, I seldom find it useful to use any of the advanced search criteria.