39 percent of Americans used a search engine during January 2004, reports Nielsen/NetRatings, the global standard for Internet audience measurement.
The individuals who participated in the study spent an average of forty minutes each searching the Net throughout the month.
And just what were their search engines of choice? So far, the top five search engines of 2004 are Google, Yahoo! Search, MSN Search, AOL Search, and Ask Jeeves.
Despite efforts from its big name competitors, Google was still the top search destination 59 percent of the time.
“Search engines continue to be the primary tool people use to navigate the Web,” said Jason Levin, an analyst with Nielsen//NetRatings.
“With the big search players having recently updated their search capabilities, Internet users should expect to find even better search results from the major search engines in the near future.”
What do searchers want? Relevant and credible results were more important to users than an easy-to-use interface, a visually appealing design, or a search engine’s good reputation.
“The message is loud and clear — search engine users value relevant and credible information over all else and they are choosing their search engines accordingly,” continued Levin.
Searchers are also starting to realize that search engines can be used for more than just navigation. A Nielsen/NetRatings poll shows that Internet users are beginning to turn to search engines to fill their online shopping needs.
Holiday shoppers in 2003 started a new trend by using their favorite search engines to find online stores. Google lead the way yet again, dominating 36 percent of these searches.
Is this the next step in search engine evolution?
“Online shoppers have turned to search engines not only to find stores but to comparison shop,” said Levin. “Search engines are quickly becoming the first destination for online shoppers, and we expect that trend to continue through 2004.”
Murdok | Breaking eBusiness News
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