June 16th, 2008
The Psychology of Search Terms
f it is a holiday or a birthday and you want to buy a gift online, the way you search is different than when it is not a special holiday or special occasion. If you are not ready to buy and are browsing around, you are using search terms that show your intent - to gather information. Or, if you need that gift right away because it needs to be shipped and get here before the event, you are using specific search terms in this case that show that intent - find it and pay.
When it comes to search terms used in the search engines, not all searches are created equal, because not all searches have the same intent. When you enter search terms to perform a search, there is a distinct psychology of search. This psychology of search can be broken down into several general types of intent. The different stages of intent typically follow a progression. Let’s use use a story to illustrate a typical progression of a person’s search intent:
A person might say or think:
“I like that new Mustang that is out now, looks awesome. I’ve seen some cruising around. I’ve always liked those Mustangs! I’m going to go online and look at Mustangs and all sports cars out there.”
(Comment 1: This part of the story is the “Hey, I like that! Or, “I think I might want that.” A typical search term would be pretty general and might be “sports cars” or “retro cars”)
“Well, the other day I saw that a neighbor had just bought home a new Mustang. I wonder what he has to say about it. I wonder what dealership sells those cars…”
(Comment 2: This person is gradually trying to get more general information. Sort of a “discovery” stage. A typical search might be “sports car dealers” or “fast cars” )
Man, I talked to that neighbor the other day, he said his Mustang was awesome. He told me about the horsepower, the color choices, the gear ratios. He started it up and it sounded awesome. I gotta know more!”
(Comment 3: Our friend is getting more specific, now this person is likely to search for features, at different types of Mustangs, and if he or she is brave, might take a first peek to find a retail price. At this stage, these might be some searches: “Mustang features,” or “Specs for Ford Mustang.”)
“Well, I found out online that there are at least 3 different types of Mustangs. I wonder which one would be best? And where to get the best price?”
(Comment 4: Comparing features and comparison shopping. This person will likely do searches along these lines: “Ford Mustang reviews” or “Best Features for Ford Mustang.”)
“That’s it. I’ve been waiting and I’m not getting any younger. I’m going online to find the one I want for the price I want to spend!”
(Comment 5: This person has decided to buy. Now, just needs to find the place. Types of searches at this phase would be “best blue Mustang GT prices” or “special prices Mustang GT.”)
I hope you enjoyed that story. Here are the different search phases of that story, condensed to see the phases more clearly.
* Hey, I like ! OR, I think I want X.
* Where did you get it?
* What are the features?
* What are the best ones?
* What is the price range?
To put a final summary on it, that story represents types of searching people do. Generally going from broad to specific as their intent or interest develops. And, if the person is ready to buy - the search terms can get very, very specific. Here it is described more generally - 4 levels of searching:
1. Broad information, information gathering and discovery.
2. Research: More specific searching, what are the features, what are the accessories
3. Comparison: Which is the best choice, most reliable, etc..
4. Buy: the money is out, product/service acquisition
And, that’s the article on “Psychology of Search Terms.”