Latitude, a search engine marketing agency in the UK, has published a new white paper that explores the mathematical theory behind the “Long Tail phenomenon,–and they how it’s applied to search. Written by Latitude’s Director of Search, Jon Myers, it uses mathematical examples: it examines the viability of the Long Tail concept, as well as the effect deeper buying in searches can have on sales. Additionally, it examines why brand name searches are more likely to result in a sale than generic searches.

Brand name searches indicate where someone is in the buying cycle, and that’s why they’re more likely to result in sales. It’s my theory that when someone searches for a brand name, they’ve already done their “research” online and decided exactly what they’re going to buy, including a make and model number in some cases. So, that’s why we see so many brand name searches result directly in sales. Let’s get back to this new “long tail” white paper by Jon Myers. According to Mr. Myers, he wanted to study the numbers behind the Long Tail.

“A lot of people have been talking about the concept and saying that if you don’t buy the Long Tail, you aren’t taking advantage of cheaper searches”, he commented. “But no one was talking about the statistics or mathematics behind it all.” In exploring the mathematical theory behind the Long Tail, Jon said: “It was significant that you can use mathematics to prove what people have been saying. It does all stack up and you can prove the concept behind deeper buying.”

A notable finding in this “long tail” white paper is how much brand can affect search campaigns. Discussing the high rate of conversion for branded searches, Jon commented: “It comes down to how strong you can make your brand. If you have a good brand, you can do so much more within the search marketing arena.”

Mr. Myers aims to further his research into the theory behind the Long Tail by looking at search engines individually rather than as a whole. He wants to examine whether Long Tail marketing is more effective on particular search engines and study the demographics and search habits of their users. This will help Latitude, the market leader in search, run even more effective pay per click and search engine optimisation campaigns for its clients.

For a copy of the white paper, The Long Tail of search – the value and the volume, and for more information, please call Matt Brocklehurst, Head of Marketing, on: 0207 952 8000. Or email him on: matt.brocklehurst -at- searchlatitude.com.