Researchers analyze point and click behavior

According to iProspect's "Search Engine User Behavior Study," search marketers should strive to get their natural results as high as possible on search return pages; 62% of search engine users use links returned within the first page of search hits. A full 90% of users use links within the first three pages of search results. Searchers seldom wander deep into results. "The message to marketers should be clear, and the implications obvious," said Robert Murray, President, iProspect. "If your site is not found on the first page - or within the first three pages of search results - you might as well be putting up a billboard in the woods." Search placement not only affects click-through behavior, it seems to have an affect on attitudes as well. Among search engine users, 36% believe that the companies whose websites are listed at the top of the search results are also the leading brands, reported eMarketer. "[Many] search engine users ascribe industry leadership to those brands within top results, and believe them to be leaders in their fields," said Murray. "Cleary, this brand lift is a critical element for brand marketers. It not only reinforces the importance of being found in the top results, but also underscores the need for collaboration between online marketers and their colleagues in brand management, as search is clearly no longer just for direct marketers." The study also found out what happens when users don't find what they are searching for: 41% change search engines or search terms if they do not find what they seek on the first page of search results. 88% change engines or search terms if they do not find what they seek on the first three pages of search results. 82% re-launch an unsuccessful search using the same search engine but with more keywords. Link: SearchEngineWatch.com 04/11/06 - Searcher Behavior Research