New Article: Most Search Engine Users Still Naive

[thejenn]

Full article: http://www.searchengineguide.com/laycock/003188.html

Some snippets...

"What I found most surprising was that surveyed individuals use search engines sparingly. Almost half of Internet users say they use search engines just a couple of times a week and nearly two thirds claim they could stop using search engines tomorrow without it significantly impacting their lives."

"Nearly 40% of surveyed users had no idea that some engines run both organic (natural) and sponsored (paid) search results. At the same time, half of all respondents claimed they would stop using a search engine if they thought an engine was using paid listings without clearly designating those listing as such"

So what do you guys think? I see two lines of questioning here...the business one being...

...what happens to all the search engines when more people learn the difference between organic and paid listings... Will they stop clicking the paid listings? Will users embrace the ads? Will they ignore them like they do with magazines and tv ads?

the non-business one being...

...could YOU live without search engines? I'd go nuts...the very idea of not being able to immediately find the answer to any and every question that pops into my brain? I'd go nuts... Just the other day I was watching Back to the Future Part II and thought to myself "is that kid that just flashed by in the background Elijah Wood?" Ten seconds later I had my answer! Ten years ago I would have sat around and wondered about that for DAYS...

[David Wallace]

Regarding ads, I think once people learn what sponsored ads are, they avoid them... at least the majority do. Studies have proven that much more people click on the organic listings as opposed to the paid listings.

As far as being able to live without search engines, I could give them up but only if I gave up the Internet entirely! Otherwise, I need them so I can find stuff and use them just about every day.

[obinstitute]

I sometimes clicked on sponsored ads partuclarly if I am looking for something I have little experience with. Guess I just make the assumption that if they can pay for ads, they are a more profitable company and might have something to offer.

Live without search engines? NEVER! But I do experiement with them more. Right now, I'm test driving teoma.com. They have an interesting method of providing results.

[David Wallace]

I like to click on the sponsored ads of competitors, not repeatedly, just once when I come across them, especially the high CPC ones!

(did I really confess that)

[ACMilan]

Hi thejenn,
I couldn't live without search engines either. I look up things related to my hobbies. For example, I often search for medical research on foods. In less than 30 minutes I know my answer. It'll take me at least 30 minutes to drive and park at a library to find out.

I assume the sponsored ads want to sell me something. When I'm just looking for information, I don't glance at the sponsored ads. If I'm shopping for something and looking for bargains I do look at the sponsored ads.
Make it a great day !

[4ndr3w]

I feel that sponsored placements are often more relevant to my search than the organic results. Then again, I tend to use highly specific search terms when I go hunting for something, rather than starting with the broader "power keywords" that everyone is bidding on. It depends on which engine, certainly, but I'm happy to take advantage of those offerings - perhaps only slightly less often than organic results.

As for the issue of adding real estate, well, if there's an identifiable, targettable segment or niche that's interested in the new content, more power to the engines. That kind of segmentation is a marketer's dream, and I trust the invisible hand of economic forces to either prune content aimed at segments that just aren't viable, or to lower the cost of producing the content until it *is* viable for that small segment.

It's not an issue of too much inventory, it's an issue of a lack of a viable, targettable segment (or the lack of smarts or energy to identify the segment).

[thejenn]

If I'm shopping for something and looking for bargains I do look at the sponsored ads.

I think you make an interesting point here...that's actually when I'm most likely to click on the PPC ads as well.

If i'm searching for a product name online, I'm likely looking for product reviews (I'm ALWAYS looking for reviews before I buy something, online or off). Once I know I'm ready to buy, I tend to either go search on a site that I already know sells it, on Froogle, or by reading through the PPC listings on an engine.

For example, right now I'm looking to switch my phone service and to bundle it with DSL access...I want to know who is running a special offer right now...that's not super likely to show up in the organic results because the offers are often gone before they get properly indexed...but PPC is where those companies want to highlight their special offer, so I usually scan through the results there.