I recently made some small changes to the layout of this blog. I changed the top navigation to an easy to spot search bar and then added a bread crumb train just below it.

The results:

• Increase of .75 page views per visitor
• Average users searching went from around 1 in 1000 to 1 in 200
• Increased understanding of what visitors are looking for

However, this is just a fun blog. Serious marketers should be looking at even more information:

• Are the site search keywords in your PPC campaign?
  • Measure the conversions and then consider adding them.
• Are the site search keywords in your SEO campaign?
  • Look at their competitive nature and consider adding them if they are adding conversions to your website.
• How many ‘0 returned search results’ are your visitors seeing?
  • Do you need to build content around those terms?
• Are your PPC visitors searching immediately upon visiting the site?
  • Maybe they need to be sent to another page

One of my favorite places to start expanding keywords (PPC and SEO) is by examining site search keywords. People who search on your site are not just leaving when they don’t find the answer – they are continuing to interact with your brand by searching.

Are you collecting and analyzing site search keywords?

If not, you need to start collecting, analyzing, and acting upon this valuable data.