• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, April 27, 2006

According to new research conducted by Jupiter Research and sponsored by iProspect,  62% of search engine users click on a search result within the first page of results, and a full 90% of users click on a result within the first three pages of search results. These figures were just 48% and 81%, respectively, in 2002. (But even beyond the benefits of being found within the first three pages of results, the study reports that brand equity is bestowed upon those entities listed in the top results.

Robert Murray, President, iProspect, said "... a percentage of search engine users ascribe industry leadership to those brands within top results, and believe them to be leaders in their fields given their placement in the results. Cleary, this brand lift is a critical element for brand marketers."

The study revealed that 82% of search engine users re-launch an unsuccessful search using the same search engine as they used for their initial search, but add more keywords to refine the subsequent search.

High-level findings include:

• 36% of search engine users believe that the companies whose websites are returned at the top of the search results are the top brands in their field.
• 41% of search engine users who continue their search when not finding what they seek, will change engines or their search term if they don't find what they seek on the first page of search results.
• 88% will change engines or their search term if they don't find what they seek on the first three pages of search results.
• 82% of search engine users re-launch an unsuccessful search using the same search engine as they used for their initial search, but add more keywords to refine the subsequent search.
• In a 2005 Jupiter Research, quoted in the report, 87% of commercial clicks take place on the natural (not sponsored) search results.

Murray concludes that "Search engine users are demonstrating a preference to remain with a particular search engine and re-launch unsuccessful initial searches as longer keyword searches...marketers need to...target these longer keyword phrases so they can be readily found by searchers."

For more information and the more complete release, please visit here