Google Refers over 70 percent of All Traffic!
By Mike Valentine
http://searchengineoptimism.com/Google_refers_70_percent.html
{PAGE0}A recent post in a discussion list suggested that Google is
becoming the Microsoft of search (dominating web search as
Microsoft dominates PC operating systems). So I decided to
research a theory - one I'd developed about search engine
traffic. I dug into the traffic stats on three of my own
sites and those of several clients that I monitor traffic
for.
While this case study is tiny and certainly NOT conclusive,
I'll wager it has strong parallels across small business
web sites. The conclusions drawn are admittedly opinion,
based on very limited statistics, but those are all that
matter to those of us seeing tiny search engine traffic
from supposedly monstrous portals.
The participating clients from this case study ALL submit
their sites to paid inclusion programs from AltaVista,
Inktomi and AskJeeves/Teoma. Two use LookSmart LookListings
and all but one are listed in YAHOO! Directory. All are
listed in the Open Directory Project and all submit to
smaller industry specific directories and smaller search
engines. One uses Overture PPC on a limited basis, while
none use Google Adwords. All were optimized by yours truly
and each represent varied industries in retail, professional
services and one is an information site only, is non-
commercial and sells nothing. Each of them ranks well at
most search engines, but see little traffic from those good
rankings.
The research I did confirmed what I'd only assumed before
by backing it up with solid numbers. On my own sites and
those of clients that I reviewed, Google sends over 70% of
all search traffic to every one of those domains in every
case. This includes Google foreign variants, Google
Directory and Google image search (image search numbers are
tiny). The foreign Googles send tiny numbers of visitors
from non-English speaking countries, but English speaking
Google traffic from the UK, Canada and Australia drives
more traffic than either Yahoo or MSN according to traffic
statistics of those sites reviewed for this case study.
With the highest difference between compared search engine
traffic of 8 percent variation between studied domains, I've
compiled a list of average traffic delivered by search
engines for those sites to which I have access to traffic
logs. The Google percentages are inclusive of those portals
that use Google results such as iWon.com and Yahoo web
results. Direct Yahoo results are for sites listed in their
directory.
Google 74%
Yahoo 14%
MSN 9%
Ask 2%
All other SE's 1%
I'm concerned, not that Google is too big, but that the
other search engines just don't get it, don't deliver it
and don't want to give it up. What is IT? Traffic!
I attribute this to one thing. Those search engines don't
want to give up visitors to FREE search results. They are
happy to send visitors off if they gain income from that
traffic in either PPC ads or advertisements of ANY sort.
Knowing that those free results will lose the "eyeballs"
of searchers, they struggle to deliver both PPC ads and
sponsor ads that most closely approximate the search phrase
entered by the searcher. Thankfully, all have dropped banner
ads from the SERP's (Search Engine Result Pages).
They cannot stand the idea they will lose the visitor and
seek to entice them to click on something, anything that'll
earn them income. Even if it means delivering NON-relevant
results to entice the searcher to use a different search
phrase seeking to gain more relevant results, thereby
viewing more ads and additional PPC ads the visitor may
click on to deliver income to the portal.
{PAGE1}I believe these search engine traffic percentages are a
direct reflection of relevance delivered by those search
engines. The more relevant the results, the more likely
they'll send a higher percentage of traffic to your site.
74% of search traffic referred:
Google offers their own PPC results, offers no outside
banners, Amazon links or effluvia related to the search.
They deliver relevant results and visitors love that, then
leave freely to return next time they want relevant results.
14% of search traffic referred:
Yahoo offers Overture PPC results (which they'll soon own),
Amazon links and sponsorship links, along with that "Also
search in: Yahoo! Shopping" link at the bottom of every
result page, hoping you'd rather shop than to actually find
what you were searching for!
9% of search traffic referred:
MSN offers Overture PPC results, "Broaden your Search"
(LookSmart) links, "Shopping Results on MSN" links and
a sponsor text link at the bottom of every page as though
you didn't really want to find anything but their ads.
2% of search traffic referred:
Ask offers more paid results than any other search property
with 5 sponsor links at the top of every search result page
and TEN links to further paid sponsor results in a "Related
Searches" footer to every result page. Ask sponsors provide
search ads. Doesn't Ask understand that most searchers see
right through this?
Relevance at each of these search engines declines further
with progress down the list of traffic referred. Is it any
wonder Google is the leader? They lead in relevance,
therefore in search engine referred traffic. All any engine
need do is provide relevant results with limited sponsors
and no excessive "shopping" or multiple source PPC links
and book links. If they do that, they'll compete effectively
with Google. More relevant search engines deliver the
traffic to web sites, NOT to their advertisers.
I have a bold suggestion to make to MSN as they develop
their new in-house search engine. Drop the ads, sponsors,
book links, shopping links and resist the temptation to
bring back banner ads. Searchers want to find what they
are looking for and easily see through transparent attempts
to sell stuff to them and keep them from leaving. Let go of
searchers by delivering highly relevant search results while
clearly labeling limited numbers of sponsor or PPC ads! The
result will be devastating to Google by giving searchers a
real alternative that they may prefer using!
YAHOO! has a huge task ahead of them - to integrate the
recently acquired Inktomi, Overture (and Overture's recent
acquisitions Altavista and Fast/AlltheWeb) search technology
into their search mix. Clearly they've plenty of technology
now and won't need Google when they add all these ingredients
to the search soup they are cooking up. Yahoo will possess
all the best technology and must only decide to provide
relevant search results WITHOUT shopping links, excessive
sponsor links, book links and other clutter to the SERP's.
I suggest that if they show only limited Overture PPC ads
and clearly labeled sponsor ads along with the relevant
results - that they can also threaten Google's lead.
If the re-born, re-cooked and massively complex YAHOO! or
the "new" MSN resist the temptation to send searchers to
advertisers rather than sending them to relevant results,
then we will have three very strong competitors in the
search market. The numbers of search referrals will level
off at about 30% per competitor and Google will have to
fight to gain back their current dominance. If YAHOO! or
MSN seek to favor advertisers over searchers, Google will
maintain dominance - clear and simple.
I encourage all webmasters to do their own comparisons of
traffic referrals now and then again when YAHOO! and MSN
weigh in over the next year with their "new" offerings.
It could get very interesting if there were some true
competition in search, so referred traffic from YAHOO! and
MSN starts to deliver to webmasters rather than advertisers.
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