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  • Kristie Hill

Are people using your search bar? What are they searching for?

November 11, 2015

I’m sure you’ve read it in every post about elements every blog/website design should have: make sure to have a search bar. Are people actually using your search bar? What are they searching for? Knowing this information could be a game changer for your blog. Why? Without having to survey your readers, you know what kind of stuff they are looking for. You’ll know what type of content they expect to find on your site.

Today’s post is a quick tutorial on how to use Google Analytics to find what people are searching for using your search bar.

Search bar stats graphic

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First, log in to your Google Analytics account. From the left hand panel navigate to Behavior > Site Content > All Pages

Now, in the search box (ha. using a search box to see what people search for) we are going to search for your blog’s default search result phrase.

WordPress: ?s=
Blogger: search?q=
SquareSpace: search?q=

Use Google Analytics to see what people are searching for on your blog.

Nifty, right?

In the last month, 76 people have used my search bar. (Which, did you know that my search button is one of my favorite features of my website? Try it out. Click the search link in the teal navigation.)

To get a better idea of the trends in people’s searches, set your analytics to display the last 3 months or so.

Alright, what can you do with this information?

Inspiration for posts
If people are looking for something on your blog that you don’t have a post for – post about that. Or, maybe you can add to an existing post to make it even better.

Change up navigation
If you notice a phrase or post that is getting searched for a TON, then maybe you should consider making it easy to find that post. Add it to your menu or in your sidebar.

Help finding your focus

Sometimes it is hard for us to know what we’re good at or what we should focus on. It can be easier to have others tell us. Based on the overall trends of what people search for, what are they expecting to find on your blog? What do they think you’ll have a post on?

Go check it out and come back and tell me what people are searching for using your search bar.

Do you have a search bar on your site? Are people actually using it? Find out! + PLUS How you can use this information to be a total game changer for your blog.
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Filed Under: Blogging Tips Tagged With: Google Analytics Conversation: 14 Comments

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Comments

  1. Emenike Emmanuel says

    August 23, 2018 at 5:12 am

    Hello Kristie,

    This is interesting. Understanding the action of search people take on your blog will be very helpful for blogger to know the next kind of post to create for his readers.

    Nothing can be more interesting than giving your blog readers what they want every single time.

    Thanks for sharing.

    Emenike

    Reply
  2. Amy Robles says

    March 21, 2018 at 12:28 pm

    Yes, this is very cool. People are coming to my site looking for coaching more than any other thing.

    Reply
    • Kristie Hill says

      March 26, 2018 at 7:40 am

      Really? That is cool. Do you think they are looking for coaching from you or how to be a coach?

      Reply
  3. DNN says

    July 17, 2016 at 10:10 am

    People are allegedly starting to use it for Amazon stuff on DNN.

    Reply
  4. Genevieve says

    December 12, 2015 at 6:12 pm

    THANK YOU! I have been wanting to know what people are searching within my site for so long, it’s so interesting! I’ve just found your site and have been reading it like crazy, as I switched from wp.com to WP.org this week and it has been a steep learning curve. Thank you so much for your great tips & articles, it has made the process so much more exciting (and less intimidating!)

    Reply
  5. Tiffany says

    December 2, 2015 at 10:36 am

    I actually removed the search box from my site a while back. It just wasn’t being used very often. I actually heard from Derek Halpern that you (as the site owner) use your search box more than your visitors. I’m not sure if that’s true for most people, but it was definitely true for me.

    Now that I have more content on my website, I think I’m going to add my search box back and see how it goes.

    Reply
  6. Sherry says

    November 15, 2015 at 11:43 am

    Thanks for this awesome information!
    Sherry

    Reply
  7. Flavia says

    November 13, 2015 at 11:17 am

    Shut the front door!!! Again, you save the day. Just when I was starting to get writer’s block, you post this. Can you believe people is looking for ‘canning and pickling’ in my blog??? Lol – I like that! I am fascinated by this tool! Thanks Kristie!

    Reply
    • Kristie Hill says

      November 13, 2015 at 4:21 pm

      Canning an pickling? Haha! Funny. Glad this helped inspire you Flavia.

      Reply
  8. Breanna says

    November 13, 2015 at 8:12 am

    So cool! Thanks for all these easy to understand tips for improving our websites!

    Reply
  9. sharon says

    November 12, 2015 at 3:35 am

    Is it possible to be able to see this for websites? (e.g. one that is not on wordpress or blogger?)

    Thanks!
    Sharon

    Reply
    • Kristie Hill says

      November 12, 2015 at 10:22 am

      Which platform are you using? What are you using to control your search bar?

      Reply
  10. Shawn says

    November 11, 2015 at 2:36 pm

    Wow thanks so much for sharing this. I’m still a newbie (only two months into blogging) so anything is helpful. I can’t wait to try this out.

    Reply
  11. Becky @ Disney in your Day says

    November 11, 2015 at 10:52 am

    I just tried it and this was really cool – thanks for sharing!

    Reply

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