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Drag a Long Tail and See What You Catch

Long Tailed Gecko I first discovered my emerging tail wlthout knowing what one was.

A year or so ago on my regular San Diego real estate website I discovered that someone had landed on the site with the search term rimless shower doors and wondered what on earth that had to do with real estate or my website. Some simple research led me deep into one of my long descriptions about a listing that happened to have rimless shower doors.

"Ha!" thought I. "Google isn't the super sharp tool I thought it to be...." What do rimless shower doors have to do with San Diego Real Estate? Beats me, but it spurred thinking about the possibilities. In fact, I wrote a blog about Long Tail 101 early in my ActiveRain association, and am still amazed at what that a growing long tail can attract:

Just last night, I fell out my chair laughing when Luxury Home Digest ended up as the #2 entry under the Google search term: Ways to Shave --which just missed out to:

Learning The Best Ways To Shave Your Pubic Hair

My article? Ways to Shave Your Carbon Footprint--a very tame article meant as a tribute to Earth Day.

I just checked the Site Meter for my other blog and here are the last 10 seach terms and rankings for those who ended up on the site:

1. #4 Snoring Rooms (Google)

2. #9 Short Sales Realtor (Google)

3. #32 Luxury Home Listings (MSN Search)

4. #8 Switchable Mirror (Google)

5. #2 Bedroom TV Beds (AOL Search)

6. #1 San Diego Short Sale Home (Google)

7. #8 Underbed TV (Google)

8. #8 Blue wood woodsmart solutions (Google)

9. #1 Bathtub (Reddit.com)

10. #64 Home Staging San Diego (Google)

These results aren't highly scientific with a sampling of only ten, but some initial conclusions might be drawn.

Google is the 900 pound search gorilla.
Keep an eye on social bookmarking sites like reddit and digg.
People really like their TV's.
More people snore than we ever imagined.

San Diego MLS

Posted by Roberta Murphy - Carlsbad Real Estate North County San Diego Realtor on 05/08/2007 12:02 AM

Comments (29)

long tail, short sales, searches

Originally posted at: The Real View: Drag a Long Tail and See What You Catch

This post has been included in California Information

29 Comments on Drag a Long Tail and See What You Catch

MAY

2007

Those examples are funny. I get a number of usually long tail results as well.

Ben: It keeps me chuckling!

MAY

2007

Lol, great post!

It's always amazing how long the tail actually is!

Carolin Benjamin
Bob and Carolin Benjamin
The Benjamin Team
Keller Williams Integrity First Realty
Gold Canyon, Arizona

I had no idea google could find these things!

Roberta,

Those are pretty funny. I love cruising the search terms on my website and blog. You just never know what the public is putting in there.

Hi Roberta - this may be a really dumb question, but how does one find out what the search terms are that are used to find one's site?

Thanks,
Ann

Don't you just love some of the search results. That shaving one is absolutely priceless. I about spit my coffee out.

Roberta,

Great information as always, and with a twist of humor we have come to expect. Have a great day!

Isn't it funny how people can find you? I 'get' the long tail, I know people can find you in obscure ways, especially when you're blogging, I'm just not convinced of how qualified those leads are. Although, I suppose someone shaving pubic hair COULD be in the real estate market!

Ana: Thanks!

Carolin: Just keep writing your stuff and watch it grow:-)

Yvonne: Google can find anything.

Laurie: I wish everyone landing on the site were looking for San Diego luxury real estate, and I guess they would if I wrote about nothing else. But then writing wouldn't be so much fun and I would have to stay on topic all the time.

Ann: Install a site meter.

Chris: Me too!

Eric: Thank you!

Lisa: Life and leads are full of surprises:-)

That is really quite funny. Snoring rooms is my favorite.

Angie: I cracked up when I first saw a dedicated snoring room in a physician's home. I guess they are more common than I knew!

It is amazing to see what sites pop-up with key words associated.....don't see a relation...but does get the site exposure.

Maurice: You never know when or how you will be found, so make your site and writings worthwhile.

Fascinating, Roberta. Amazing what google finds, and even more so what people search for.

Jeff

Like you, I continue to be amused by some of the terms that landed them to my site (I also wrote an article on some of my funny ones). My post on Sargent Murphy still is getting traffic. Thankfully the FBI, so far, have visited only once. Apparently, they weren't looking for wiener dogs!

You realize that by putting those funny terms in your post you're going to get you even more "funny traffic". I expect all the Paris Hilton & Britney Spears wannabees, will visit you now! ;-)

Jeff:....or what Google thinks they are looking for!

Elaine: Uh oh....

Long Tails can certainly attract some interesting search terms. I love watching what people are searching for. If it is something I know about, I will write it. Oftentimes they search again!

Thanks Roberta!

Ann

Kristal: Good idea!

Ann: You're welcome!

That's great stuff! It's amazing how people will find us, but I guess as long as they're finding us.... that's all that matters, huh? :)

Ryan: Yup!!! It's still funny how Google categorizes information, though.

MAY

2007

I noticed that a lot of people were looking for crime stats so I put up a post with zip code demographics including crime stats and am getting a lot of hits on it, go figure.

Laurie: Smart move! I find lots of people looking for Black's Beach--probably hoping for nude photos. My site would disappoint....

Roberta - Guess how I found your blog???? Come on guess. It was not through AR at all. I get Google Alerts for "Home Staging" any your blog was listed. I really can't figure Google out. I write blogs with the phrase home staging all the time and my blogs are almost never listed. What is your secret?????? ;)

Maureen: You've got to be kidding! I am more confused than ever about Google's algorithms and secret formulas. I write very little about st_g_ng.

MAY

2007

Roberta- Glad I read the comments before posting my quesiton. I see Ann asked it and you already answered it. Thank you.

Debi: Sometimes the comments are better than the blog!

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