When thinking about SEO, it is important to remember that people from different generations search differently. On an article I read, they did a study monitoring the searches of people from different generations. They found that Gen Z, they youngest generation they surveyed, actually used the most search terms. This is surprising, but it might have been because this generation knew the specific item they were searching for, and wanted to yield the best search results.
The study also focused on what terms people were using to describe their searches, they found that Gen Z and Millennials used “best” a lot more in their searches, while Baby Boomers tended to avoid words like “best” and “top”. I think this is because they do not have as much knowledge about how to refine their searches, while Gen Z grew up with search, and know how to navigate it better.
The article ended by saying that the research conducted shows how important it is to use certain terms as keywords. For the younger generations, using more refined keywords may be better, because they know how to navigate their searches a little more. If targeting an older generation, you may want to make the keyword cover a broader range. The term “how to” was seen to be used across all generations in their searches. Seeing the generational impact on SEO is very interesting and gives us insight on how to make our websites rank higher.
Source: https://www.impactplus.com/blog/generation-affects-search-tactics
3 Responses
I agree that it is critically important to keep in mind your target customer when evaluating search times and optimizing your website for SEO, especially the age demographic of your target customer. I also agree that “how to” is an important search term used across all age demographics, especially on YouTube. For me personally, I frequently joke about going to “YouTube University” to learn various skills.
What an interesting study! I think the differences between the generations and the way they search is particularly interesting. I think that Gen Z knows how to better refine their search because they have had more exposure throughout their lives to the internet. Great insight on this topic and great post!
I think it is interesting how Gen Z would be better at searching than the Baby Boomers. I definitely agree because Gen Z has a better understanding of technology, and they are better at navigating the web. I also think it is interesting that companies need to use different keywords depending on which generation is their target market.