--- title: Online Shoppers' Average Search Length on Retail Websites description: New data about on-site search trends as well as retailer confidence. image: https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-23-2023-12-20-23-1553-AM-4-3-May-01-2023-08-19-48-7693-PM.png --- [Log In](https://www.websitemagazine.com/_hcms/mem/login) [Subscribe](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com/free/w_webk05/prgm.cgi) [![Website Magazine Logo](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hs-fs/hubfs/gradient-regular@3x-1.png?width=586&height=145&name=gradient-regular@3x-1.png "Website Magazine Logo")](http://Website%20Services,%20Inc.) - [About](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about) - [FAQs](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/faq) - [Advertise](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/advertise) - [Editorial Staff](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/editorial-publishing-staff) - [Resources](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com) - [Newsletter](https://www.websitemagazine.com/newsletter-sign-up) - More - [Contact Us](https://www.websitemagazine.com/contact) [Log In](https://www.websitemagazine.com/_hcms/mem/login) [Subscribe](https://websitemagazine.tradepub.com/free/w_webk05/prgm.cgi) Search - [Latest](https://www.websitemagazine.com) - [Design](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-design) - [Development](https://www.websitemagazine.com/web-development) - [SEO](https://www.websitemagazine.com/seo) - [Ecommerce](https://www.websitemagazine.com/ecommerce) - [Content](https://www.websitemagazine.com/content) - [Marketing](https://www.websitemagazine.com/marketing) - [Advertising](https://www.websitemagazine.com/advertising) - [Email](https://www.websitemagazine.com/email) - [Infographics](https://www.websitemagazine.com/infographics) - [View All Topics](https://www.websitemagazine.com/channels) # Online Shoppers' Average Search Length on Retail Websites ![Amberly Dressler](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Amberly%20Dressler.jpeg) [by Amberly Dressler](https://www.websitemagazine.com/ecommerce/author/amberly-dressler) 10 Apr, 2017 - - - [mailto:?Body=https://www.websitemagazine.com/ecommerce/online-shoppers-average-search-length-on-retail-websites](mailto:?Body=https://www.websitemagazine.com/ecommerce/online-shoppers-average-search-length-on-retail-websites) - Link Copied! ![Online Shoppers' Average Search Length on Retail Websites](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-23-2023-12-20-23-1553-AM-4-3-May-01-2023-08-19-48-7693-PM.png) **For all the talk of online shoppers' lofty expectations, perhaps a recent finding paints the bigger picture: consumers expect to find what they are looking for in just one word. ** [SLI Systems](https://www.sli-systems.com/) analyzed a global sample of more than 1.5 billion queries during the last four-plus years to see if it could spot a trend in the number of words shoppers use to tell retailers exactly what they are looking for. What did SLI find? The number of searches with three or more words is decreasing while the number of one-word searches is increasing with now more than half of on-site search queries including a single word.  ![search-length](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/search-length-1-1-1.png "search-length") While SLI's data is difficult to contest (the sample of 1,518,283,711 search queries was generated by looking at searches from SLI Systems clients every second week spanning from January 2013 to March 19, 2017) - it will be interesting to see how that search length changes as voice search makes its way onto retail sites. AddStructure, for instance, is a Chicago-based startup that just raised [$1.4 million in seed funding](https://www.chicagotribune.com/bluesky/originals/ct-addstructure-funding-voice-search-bsi-20170301-story.html) to let shoppers use natural language to find what they want - and Target looks to be an early adopter. One thing is for sure, on-site search can be a conversion maker or a deal breaker in the customer journey. With SLI Systems recent [Q1 2017 report](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ecommerce-performance-indicators-and-confidence-epic-report-finds-online-retailer-confidence-strong-globally-300433750.html) on ecommerce performance indicators and confidence reporting that 80 percent of retail executives expect an increase in online revenues and profits, now is a good time to consider the experience shoppers are having when they navigate to the search box to find what they are looking for.    ##### Keep reading: - [Improving Search Relevancy in the "Age of the Customer"](https://www.websitemagazine.com/blog/improving-search-relevancy-in-the-age-of-the-customer) - [Photos, Voice & Content Quickly Changing On-Site Search Requirements](https://www.websitemagazine.com/blog/photos-voice-content-quickly-changing-on-site-search-requirements) ![Amberly Dressler](https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Amberly%20Dressler.jpeg) [Amberly Dressler](https://www.websitemagazine.com/ecommerce/author/amberly-dressler) Head of analyst relations, public relations, customer advocacy (People Heroes), customer community, content marketing (full funnel/lifecycle), content operations and optimization, reputation management and social media. 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All Rights Reserved - [Privacy Policy](https://www.websitemagazine.com/about/privacy) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Amberly Dressler", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/ecommerce/author/amberly-dressler" }, "dateModified" : "2023-05-01T20:22:46.061Z", "datePublished" : "2017-04-10T05:00:00.000Z", "headline" : "Online Shoppers' Average Search Length on Retail Websites", "image" : [ "https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/gradient-regular-logo-mark-Jan-23-2023-12-20-23-1553-AM-4-3-May-01-2023-08-19-48-7693-PM.png" ], "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/ecommerce/online-shoppers-average-search-length-on-retail-websites", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/hubfs/gradient-regular@3x-1.png" }, "name" : "Website Services, Inc." } } ``` ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "NewsArticle", "author" : [ { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Amberly Dressler" } ], "headline" : "Online Shoppers' Average Search Length on Retail Websites", "publisher" : { "name" : "Website Magazine", "url" : "https://www.websitemagazine.com/" } } ```