So you want to your site to be noticed. Better be quick about it because the searchers sure are. They do it in 7 seconds. Recent studies delve into the behavior of the standard Googlite when they search, not only by speed but a number of factors that come into the equation.
Enquiro Search Solutions just released a study about searcher behavior and eye tracking has some great information for anyone interested in search positioning and while Google is the focus, some patterns of behavior could probably be extrapolated across most search engines.
First and perhaps most important is the seven second rule. The study say that seven seconds is about all the time the average search spends looking over possible choices. Also, they’ve established a triangular pattern of sorts, something loosely akin to an F shape that the eye follows when looking over a search page.
This means that more than ever, whatever a company puts into his offering for search, it’s got to be stronger and better than ever. Anyone in advertising and marketing always knew that coming up with something that’s eye-catching was important, whether your ad was in a magazine, a newspaper or a television program but now it always has to make it rank at the top of the page and if not the first, then it has to make it at the top on the second page and so on.
The biggest news of this study though is that, in reality, this information isn’t terribly new. Go ask a newspaper editor who’s been in the business a while. They’ll tell you how the eye follows a newspaper above and below “the fold.” While this news isn’t going to change the spin of the earth, it can tell us a few things about the way thing might appear.
Search engine round table brought up some interesting questions about adding prices in your copy, the how bold affects the way people read your copy and should the keyword always be in the title?
About the price in copy, often it’s a tough call but I would say no. The biggest reason is potential customers will probably make a snap judgment based on money. If you’re price is cheap that’s great but if it’s two cents higher than someone else, then you’ve lost your target. Also, when leaving out price, if your copy is done well, it might take people to your page and then you got your foot in their door.
The next question refers to bold. Bold is fine too a point. Don’t make the entire copy bold though. Maybe just the key words in the search will be enough, just one or two might do it if you need it to draw attention to what the target is after. Too many and it becomes a little overpowering to the eyes.
Keywords in the title I’m not sure about honestly. If they’re not in title, make something relevant too them in the title. So, I guess yeah, make those words or some obvious reference to those words in title. You don’t want your target left without any question as to what your site can offer them.
In the end, this also fits in to another old notion and that is one of behavioralism for marketing purposes. People often say they do one thing for lots of reasons but what they actually do is some altogether different. It also shows that layout is still half the battle. The trick with this business is where does your site fit into that layout. Remember though, you’ve only got seven seconds to figure it out.
John Stith is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.
