Typically, search queries were written in the form of short, key phrases and keywords. People are now relying on longer queries to find what they are looking for which increases trend demands action on the part of search marketers. So why is this?
The way that Google is now interpreting user queries has driven the change in user behavior. Google is currently using a new process called “semantic search” which analyzes the intention of a user’s query. Google then searches sites for whose capabilities match that intention. Users are now realizing that traditional, short-phrase searches are less effective at getting relevant results.
Due to the constant increase of information being added to the web, users must come up with more specific queries. Generic searches will only come up with general information such as Wikipedia articles or homepages to major brands. Additionally, with the rise in popularity of mobile searches, people are using voice-based searching. This has lead search queries to be more conversational, informal and in a sentence-based structure.