15% of all Google searches have never been seen before.

Google confirmed last week that 15% of all searches each day are ones that they have never seen before. The statement, made during an announcement of a further crack down on fake news, re-affirms an earlier 2013 pronouncement.

Google wrote:

There are trillions of searches on Google every year. In fact, 15 percent of searches we see every day are new — which means there’s always more work for us to do to present people with the best answers to their queries from a wide variety of legitimate sources. While our search results will never be perfect, we’re as committed as always to preserving your trust and to ensuring our products continue to be useful for everyone.

In 2016, the estimated searches processed by Google were in excess of two trillion (up from 1.2 trillion in 2015). At that rate, 15% equates to around 300 billion brand new searches that had never been seen before 2016.

That is not saying there were searches for 300 billion completely new things responsible for these new searches. One reason for this is that, as technology, language, terminology and cultures shift, the terminology used in searches can also vary for existing products and services.

A good example of this would be for TVs over the years. Searches often incorporate the type of screen in line with technology developments (colour, plasma, LCD, LED, OLED, 4K, and so on). Ten years ago no-one was searching for a 50-inch 4k TV.

Why Should You Care?

The large variations in search terms used and shift in search volume and use by the general public means you need to regularly review the content, terminology, and technical SEO aspects such as SEO titles used on your website.

Don’t be stuck in the past. Keep an eye out for rising trends in your industry and create content around them.

A good free tool that can help assess search term popularity is Google Trends. 

Using Google Trends, you can look at trends for individual search terms or topics over time and also compare them to others.

The tool will also show details on similar rising and top search terms and the interest by region.

You need to ensure your digital marketing campaigns remain aligned with what people — and, in particular, your potential customers — are actually searching for.

Book a free 20 minute consultation to discuss your online strategy with me here: calendly.com/glenn-marvin

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