New Research Questions Search Targeted Marketing
Search targeted marketing has been called into question by new research which shows that majority of internet users go directly to websites, as opposed to using web-links or search engines.
The research from web analysts, WebSide Story, suggests that the way consumers are using the internet is changing. As of the 3 February this year 64% of internet sites were reached through direct navigation, as users by-passed search engines and ad banners by typing a specific URL directly in their browser address bar.
Commenting on the research, Geoff Johnston, vice president of product marketing for StatMarket, said: “The days of web users randomly surfing to sites is ending. Now, more than ever, people know exactly where they want to go on the web.”
According to the research, the use of search engines and web links is reducing globally, with just 36% accessing sites through them in February 2003, compared with almost 52% in the same period in 2001.
However, Johnston told NewsLine that the figures are not necessarily bad news for search-targeted marketing: “If you actually break down the data search-targeting marketing is a growth area, despite the overall decrease in accessing sites through secondary sources.”
He added: “This year 13% of users accessed sites through search engines, compared to 8% of users last year. However, usage patterns on the internet are changing as more and more users are returning directly to sites they originally found through search engines.”
According to Johnston, this should change the way advertisers approach search-targeted marketing: “The search engine is like a card catalogue in a library, web-sites should recognise the importance of good content in order to keep users and attract advertisers.”
WebSide Story defines web links as anything that links from one site to another, including text links, but are mostly made up of ad banners.
Search-targeted marketing, led by the successes of Overture and Espotting, has been one of the recent bright spots in the internet advertising industry. The increasing popularity of the medium was highlighted by the appointment of leading figures from search targeting marketing companies to the Internet Advertising Bureau’s board late last year (see IAB Board Reflects Growth In Search-Targeted Marketing).
Recent research from the Online Publishers Association suggests that media planners can improve the efficiency of their online advertising by using day-parts to add an additional targeting dimension to their campaigns (see New Research Set To Revolutionise Online Ad Planning).
WebSide Story: 020 606 95 35 www.websidestory.com
Recent Research Stories from NewsLine More Than £3.5bn Spent On TV Advertising Last Year Marketers To Target New Teen Sub-Brands TV Viewers Rarely Watch Adverts During Commercial Breaks
Subscribers can access ten years of NewsLine articles by clicking the Search button to the left