HOW WE SEARCH FOR STUFF

by Allister Frosthttp://allisterfrost.com

SPONSORED

ORGANIC

UNIVERSAL SEARCH RESULTS

1

4

title

123

2snippet 3url 4image

1title 2snippet 3url 4image

123

SEARCH BEHAVIOUR

CHANGES WITH SEARCH INTENT

A Rule for Digital Marketers

WHAT’S YOUR SEARCH INTENT?

Informational

• When do the clocks go back?

• How old is Tom Jones?

Navigational

• Where’s Reading University’s web site

• Where’s the BBC News web site?

Transactional

• I want to book a table for 4 in a sushi restaurant

• I want to download a trial of Visual Studio 2010

Multimedia

• I need a picture of a mousetrap

• I want to watch a video of salsa dancing

DIFFERENCES BY INTENT

title snippet url image

fixations

time fixations

time fixations

time fixations

time

Informational

37% 34% 51% 53% 12% 13% 0% 0%

Navigational

38% 31% 42% 49% 13% 15% 7% 5%

Transactional

42% 28% 43% 56% 15% 16% 0% 0%

Multimedia 2% 4% 15% 7% 7% 7% 76% 71%Source: Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, July 2010

LESSONS FOR DIGITAL MARKETERS

Think about your searchers’ intent

Use organic and PPC listings

intelligently

Consider how other listings will impact

your own

Ensure universal search results are

non-damaging

Meticulously maintain your page title

and meta descriptions

http://allisterfrost.com