Sponsored Search

When you consider that more and more consumers are using search to find the products and services they want, it just makes sense for your business to be featured prominently in search results.

Consumers who use search are actively seeking what businesses like yours sell-which means they are highly targeted and motivated to buy.

The Frequent Use of Search

How many people are utilizing search each day? Findings by PEW Internet and American Life Project indicate that over 38 million people will use a search engine on an average day.¹ Think of how many of those searchers could be looking for what your business offers.

Research by eMarketer, further explores user behavior, revealing that over one-fifth of Internet users will use a search engine four or more times in a day.²

The Popularity of Search

According to recent findings from JupiterResearch, search is the second most ubiquitous online activity behind email, with 76% of online consumers using a search engine monthly, if not more frequently.³

Another study by iCrossing reveals that most adults who buy online rely on search engines to research their purchases.

• 88% of adults who purchase items online conduct some sort of online research at least sometimes prior to completing their purchase.⁴
• 67% of U.S. adults who research online before making a purchase decision use search engines as a research tool.⁴
• 40% of those conducting online research go to search engines first. Nearly equal percentages of respondents who use search engines to research products online use them to find a web site from which to buy (54%) or investigate where to purchase their desired product (53%).⁴

The Future of Search

eMarketer estimates that nearly 60% of Americans will be Internet users by the end of 2005.⁵ In addition, online retail revenues are projected to grow to $139 billion by 2008-a 19% increase from 2005.⁶

Couple this information with the trends in search use and it's clear that advertisers utilizing search only have one place to go: up.

• 1.       "Search Engine Users," PEW Internet & American Life Project Report, January 2005
• 2.       "Frequency of Search Engine usage in the U.S., 2004," eMarketer, February 2005
• 3.       "Demographic Profile, Search Users," JupiterResearch, March 2005
• 4.       "How America Searches: Online Shopping," iCrossing, based on Harris Interactive? poll, August 26-30, 2005
• 5.       "E-Commerce in the U.S.: Retail Trends," pg. 6, "Comparative Estimates: Internet Users in the U.S. 2003-2008," eMarketer, February 2005
• 6.       "E-Commerce in the U.S.: Retail Trends," pg. 9, "Comparative Estimates: U.S. Online Retail Sales 2003-2008," eMarketer, April 2005