ZDNet Google blogger Garett Rogers has suggested an upgrade to Google Analytics, where Google tracks your eye movements by following your mouse around the screen.
In his latest post, Rogers makes a modest proposal of Google and its web analytics efforts.
He reported on Enquiro’s eye-tracking study. That study of 50 people revealed a “Golden Triangle” of attention, focused primarily on the top left side of Google’s organic search results.
Enquiro’s analysis found top-of-page, above-the-fold visibility of organic results had the most visibility to its study subjects. As one moves down the page, the corresponding visibility continues to drop. That reinforces the common belief of search experts that the best place for a site is at the top of the search results, preferably on the first page.
The study also demonstrated the value of those sponsored links that appear above the organic results. Since people’s eyes have been focusing on that area of the page, Rogers thinks it indicates an area where Google could add to the data it delivers with Analytics:
You may wonder how Google could possibly track eye movements of users – it isn’t difficult. People often follow their eyes with their mouse when using a computer – try it yourself. Approximate eye movements are extremely easy to capture with a few lines of Javascript.
Google Analytics already shows where people click on a page with the site overlay, but visually seeing where people look could also be very powerful information.
Maybe some Googler will pick up the gauntlet here and spend some of that fabled 20 percent personal project time on bashing out the Javascript code needed to accomplish this. Then no one’s eyeballs will be entirely theirs anymore.
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David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business.
