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Bill Tancer - Hitwise US

Analyst Weblog

Guest Post - Sizing Up the Long Tail of SearchNovember 6

At Hitwise our clients are always discovering new trends from the vast amount of data we offer. From those findings we frequently get asked by clients to let them post their findings to our research blog. So I am happy to present our first guest blog post below from Dustin Woodard, a veteran SEO and long-time Hitwise client. You can see Dustin speaking at search conferences or read his writings on his SEO blog.

Considering the large number of references to the “long tail of search” over the past couple years, you’d expect a plethora of research about it. Truth is, there has been very little published on this topic. After great dissatisfaction with the existing research, which I felt vastly understated the true size of the long tail, I decided to do my own research armed with the powerful set of data Hitwise provides.

Estimating the Long Tail of Search

In September 2008, I opened the All Categories search report to discover Hitwise has measured more than 14 million different search terms in the U.S. alone for the previous 3-month period (note – Hitwise provides data going back three years). I exported the top 10,000 search terms to analyze the data. It came as no surprise that the top terms are generally navigational or behavioral terms with Myspace topping the list. However, what was surprising was the resulting chart below of the top 10,000 search terms:

Palin - Most Searched for Political FigureSeptember 3

From our ABCNews Blog:

John McCain's decision to add Sarah Palin to the Republican ticket has resulted in unprecedented media coverage for the first female Republican VP nominee, but just how interested is the American public in the governor from Alaska?

Search-term volume is arguably the best way to measure curiosity about Sarah Palin (although it is more difficult to gauge the sentiment behind that curiosity). As the chart below indicates, Palin now claims the title of the most-searched-for political figure in the last three years.

As I pointed out in my TIME.com column this week, while there are search queries surrounding Palin's stance on the issues, one of the most common themes of searches for Palin are requests for pictures (more specifically, "hot" pictures of the nominee).

Search term data provides an unprecedented insight into how we view current affairs and personalities in the news.

For more fascinating insights on search data and politics check out our new book, Click - What Millions of People Do Online and Why it Matters launched this week, go pick up a copy

Click on Good Morning America and 20/20 Tomorrow 8/29August 28

I'll be on Good Morning America in the 8am hour and my interview with Elizabeth Vargas will be on 20/20 at 10:00pm (ET/PT) tomorrow evening. If you haven't left yet for the holidays tune in and hear about data that I discuss from Click our new book based on Hitwise data.

Twitter - This Week's TIME Science of Search ColumnAugust 21

Read our latest Science of Search column at TIME.com. If you look at the age demographics of Twitter closer to its genesis in 2006 you'll find that the age demographics of visitors to the site skewed almost entirely to the 18-24 year old demographic. This week's column examines some of the Mosaic segments that are over-represented for Twitter use, some may surprise you.

Heelys - Search and Brand EquityAugust 14

Yesterday's news of Skechers offer to acquire Heelys for $142.8 million brought flashbacks of tweens reaching near terminal velocity at my local shopping mall (on the down-ramp near California Pizza Kitchen), but that flashback is an old memory by Internet standards. Today there are very few sightings of shoe-sliding kids.

I turned to our search term volume chart on "Heelys" to determine what search data might reveal about the wheeled-shoe trend, specifically, was the local decline I noticed part of a national trend? Here's a chart based on our U.S. sample of 10 million Internet users (with Heelys weekly closing stock price superimposed).

While Heelys is planning to diversify their footwear line away from the wheeled variety, it strikes me that companies in the process of acquiring retail brands might want to consider the power of search term volume as a proxy for a retail brand's equity. Also of note, while its not always the case, here stock price and weekly search term volume appear to correlate very nicely.