New research was published today by the Center for Media Research on the behavior of web searchers. It’s no surprise that a first page search engine ranking can provide your site, and by extension your company, with greater visibility. Your brand equity can also can be boosted by a first-page ranking. Search engine users typically associate a first-page ranking with industry leadership.
The study found that 62% of search engine users click a site listed on the first page of search engine results, and 90% of searchers click on a site listed on the first three pages. This study is a repeat of a 2002 study that found that a lower number of people (48%) clicked on a site on the first page of search engine results and 81% of searchers clicked on a site listed on the first three pages. Clearly, a first-page ranking is becoming more important as people have a tendency to abandon a search sooner than they used to.
If searchers are unsuccessful in finding a suitable result, they either change their search altogether or repeat the search by adding more keywords to refine the search.
