"Searches
Performed" Empty Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics!
Who Cares? Webmasters Want "Referred Traffic"
by
Mike Banks Valentine
Yahoo abruptly quit using Google as a search partner
last week in a surprise move that has the search
industry now scrambling for statistics to analyze
and numbers to bandy about. I'd like to share
some rarely discussed statistics and numbers with
you here.
First the numbers and stats from the press, then
I'll share a few of my own. Here are the stats
that are getting the most attention for the Yahoo
search story.
Share of searches performed by U.S. users
(source: comScore Media Metrix)
Google = 35%
Yahoo = 28%
AOL (powered by Google) = 16%
MSN = 15%
ALL Others = 6%
Charts and analysis of this statistical lie can
be seen at: http://www.searchenginewatch.com/reports/article.php/2156431
As an SEO specialist, I don't care if Yahoo and
MSN together get almost 40 percent of all searches
performed as long as Google delivers nearly triple
the REFERRED traffic of either of those also-rans.
I love those numbers presented by comScore. The
problem is that it has nothing to do with search
engine REFERRED TRAFFIC to webmasters. I did a
small study of client traffic stats last year
and found in EVERY case that Google delivered
over 70% of referred traffic to client sites and
one gets nearly 90% of his referred traffic from
Google! Those included some new clients as well
as several of those I'd been working with for
up to a couple of years. This indicates to me
that it's not the work I do that favors Google,
and that it is a similar result across many types
of sites, optimized or not.
My article discussing these numbers was picked
up in half a dozen places and debated in a forum
or two because it seems shocking to imagine Google
dominating at that level. http://searchengineoptimism.com/Google_refers_70_percent.html
If you scroll down the page at that SearchEngineWatch
page linked above, you'll see another chart that
reflects Google's reach and, guess what? It's
actually closer to 70% due to the fact that Google
powers AOL and, up until last week, Yahoo.
Now I expect the 28% loss from Yahoo will make
those numbers fluctuate a bit in coming months
as searchers decide whether they like the results
they get from Yahoo search without Google powered
results. Now that Yahoo search will no longer
be contributing to Google's 70% of referred traffic,
I suspect it will vary from last year if webmasters
look at their traffic stats at the end of next
month. I'll look forward to THOSE numbers!
Still, I'll wager that if you look at your client
traffic stats for search engine referrals that
delivered traffic from Google FAR outdoes traffic
from any other search engine for some time to
come. When that changes, then it will start to
matter. Until it changes - who cares even if Yahoo
and MSN search get double their current "Searches
performed" when the referred traffic they deliver
is just a fraction of that?
Who cares if the competitors are at 27% of searches
performed if they deliver only 5% of their referred
traffic? What do people do when they get results
at Yahoo and MSN search? They must stay there,
follow paid links, or give up their search and
go shopping if they aren't ending up clicking
through from those oroganic results to the top
ranking sites!
I have multiple top ranking terms at MSN and Yahoo
for several clients that get trickles of traffic
from both of those sites, EVEN THOUGH those very
same search phrases deliver dramatically higher
traffic from Google - and in cases where they
rank lower at Google! Puzzling, eh?
Google delivers traffic. The others don't deliver
at even half the rate that Google does. So I simply
don't care that nearly a third of searches are
done elsewhere. I am going to work on ranking
well for the search engine that DELIVERS VISITORS
from organic search.
I'll pay for traffic from the others if necessary
since they don't deliver on even TOP RANKING searches.
I believe that is because the searches at MSN
and Yahoo sites and their search partners have
too many flashing, blinking, prominently placed,
paid ads dominating the SERP's.
Yahoo and MSN may get lots of searchers searching,
but if those searchers don't click through on
those top ranking organic results - what earthly
good does it do to rank well in organic results
at those search engines?
I suspect that Yahoo will profit nicely from Overture,
and since they appear to be so highly profit-driven
(yes, I agree that is a good thing for business,
but bad for search) then the results will be profit
driven too. Paid results will dominate at both
Yahoo and MSN and they will continue to deliver
far less organic search referred traffic than
does Google.
Until I see some changes in referred traffic,
I'll bet some serious money that Google will continue
to deliver over 50% of all referred search traffic
to everyone due to the emphasis on relevance above
profit.
The impending Google IPO makes me nervous about
all of this because Google will have to do as
the others do and emphasize paid results on the
SERP's at a much higher level than they do now
in order to keep investors happy. Investor pressure.
Those two clearly marked sponsored ads at the
top of the page and clear boxed Adwords ads along
the right will be charming memories in short order.
We'll see paid links grow to dominate the Google
SERP's and it wouldn't surprise me if they started
running banner ads in addition.
Statistics from the webmaster perspective show
Google sending nearly triple the traffic of all
other search engines combined. That's the only
statistic that webmasters care about.
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Mike Banks Valentine is a Search Engine Optimization
Specialist practicing ethical SEO for Online businesses
http://SEOptimism.com
Take our Search Engine Quiz to test your Skills
Level http://SearchEngineOptimism.com/search_engine_quiz.html
email link: http://privacynotes.com/cgi-bin/M/msb.cgi?2
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