The Way People Read Google Results Has Changed, but Does It Matter?

When the Google search engine first hit computer screens, it was unlike anything that had been seen before when it came to indexing the world’s information. The way Google Search looked back then and the way it looks today are worlds apart, of course, and the original search engine look seems archaic by today’s standards.

Technology certainly evolves, but does human behavior. People naturally adapt to their situations to act the most efficiently and productively – and that is true of online search behavior. A recent study from Mediative outlined the way that users scan internet search results on desktops (not on mobile devices, that is whole different behavior set) and found that the tried-and-true consumer actions marketers believe to be true actually aren’t anymore. Until this most recent study came out, internet search behavior beliefs relied on data collected in 2005. A lot has changed in a decade, but a lot has stayed the same. A few takeaways from the new report include:

Faster scanning time. In 2005, search engine result readers scanned the first page of results in 14 or 15 seconds; today that happens in 8 or 9 seconds.
More vertical, less horizontal. Search engine users still start in the upper left-hand corner of the results page, but they tend to read down, instead of across. They don’t read all of the information at the top, but rather scan down the list to see what is available first.
Category scanning. Google has evolved to separate returned results into categories like News, Maps and Images. Search engine users know this and tend to focus in right on the section they need when the results populate, ignoring the other items.

So what does all of this research mean for marketers, specifically small business owners? This data translates to mean that small business owners and other marketers should:

Be concise. Say exactly what you mean in your headline or the name/tagline of your business and website.
Use geo-references. If your business is specific to an area, be sure you list that area right in the copy of your website/blog/social media pages and several times. Google no longer determines page rank on keywords alone but uses a consumer’s location to customize results. Don’t assume that your potential customers will always enter their city or area when they do a search – most will just enter keywords (because consumers are adapting to Google doing that location matching for them).
Diversify your Web presence. Don’t put all of your searchability faith into a single site. Open social media accounts, and launch supporting blogs. Try to take up as many of those first-page slots as possible, edging out your competitors.
Search yourself. Do a few searches in this regard, and on a weekly basis. Search your actual company name, then the keywords you hope people would find you for, and then those keywords plus your location. Where do you come up in search results? Who is beating you out and what are they doing differently? This is also a good way to track down any negative feedback online and gain insight into how your customers perceive you. You can also ensure that your company info is accurate when customers find it.

It is a big digital world out there. Improve your chances of being found by understanding, and catering to, consumer behaviors on search engines like Google. You can’t sell your small business unless others are able to find you first.

Original article: The Way People Read Google Results Has Changed, but Does it Matter?