Web users choose generic terms for shopping
9 May 2005
Most web users begin shopping searches using generic searches before moving onto brands, a new survey suggests.
Research into searcher behaviour in a variety of situationsy by DoubleClick found that most click on one of the top three listings, if one interests them, and more than half click on the first paid search result. Searchers continue to prefer Google as the top engine, followed by Yahoo!, MSN and Ask Jeeves.
The study showed that, as well as favouring generic terms early on in the buying cycle (70-80 per cent of buyers), consumers took their time shopping online and spent as long as several weeks finding the right item at the right price.
The survey found that searchers do a lot of research before buying, affording nearly five touch points on average, Search Engine Watch reports.
Cam Balzer of Performics, DoubleClick's search marketing division, suggested that the research contradicted conventional search wisdom that advertising on topics produces lower ROI than advertising on brand names. "Generic keywords drive activity that later converts to brands," he added.
A recent study by Enquiro, Did-it and Eyetools, indicated that most searchers' interest is in an area in the upper left corner of the search results page, dubbed the 'Golden Triangle', with secondary interest at the top right where sponsored listings begin.
Apply for your free web assessment - get a complete health check and optimisation action plan from Weboptimiser, the experts.
Related news
|
|
Leading brand search engine marketing since 1996
Founded in 1996 as an SEO company, Weboptimiser is today one of the Internet marketing sector's best-known and most respected search engine optimisation (SEO) and pay per click (PPC) search engine marketing companies.
With a unique portfolio of brand-friendly services, including usability, contextual advertising and web analytics, a pioneering methodology that covers all 4 stages of interaction between a web site and its visitors, we make our clients sites faster, smarter, busier and more profitable.
