Do You Know the Latest Search Trends?

• New Google Patent Details Many Google Techniques Some are calling it the most important search related document since Brin and Page's "Page Rank" thesis. (Webmasterworld News and Discussion Forum, March 31, 2005)
  It is clear from reading this patent application that Google has is moving far away from its PageRank algorithm, and is evolving to an algorithm that is much more sophisticated. These criteria are clearly designed to benefit aged websites that are regularly updated and have gained their links naturally. SEO will now become even more important on a daily basis.
  
  
• Ask Jeeves has been bought by InterActiveCorp If you look at IAC's current holdings you would know that about the only place they aren't in the web is search. The AskJeeves purchase puts them firmly in the search marketplace. (SearchEnginePosition.com, March 21, 2005)
  
  
• The Future of Search (A special report from the Search Engine Strategies 2004 Conference, March 1-4, New York City. July 2004)

Few in the search industry today disagree that personalization is going to be a key driver of change. Assumptions about how to display search results pages to users are undergoing a steady transformation. Gerry Campbell of AOL search came at the issue from several different angles. First, the online experience in general should be structured to allow more recall of information that users need for basic workday and lifestyle management, from favorite stocks and birthdays to Internet connection speed. Search itself could be self-learning so that it would calculate the probability that a given user typing "eagles" meant a football team, and should offer much more by way of regional listings. Ordering a pizza from a local establishment should, Campbell argued, start with something as ambiguous a typed search query for "pizza."


• Q1 '04 U.S. E-Com Sales = $15.5B ( Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce Jun 2004)

E-commerce estimates are in for the first quarter of 2004, and the Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce found that online sales rang in $15.5 billion — representing a 28.1 percent increase over Q1 2003's $12.1 billion.

The online sales increase will fuel double-digit growth in categories such as health and beauty (61 percent); apparel (42 percent); and flowers, cards, and gifts (41 percent). The report expects total online sales to account for 6.6 percent of total retail sales in 2004, compared to 5.4 percent in 2003, and 3.6 percent on 2002.


• Net Drives Profits to Small Biz (commissioned survey by: eBay, conducted by ACNielson Mar 2004)

The Internet equals profits for more than half of the 400 small businesses (SBs) that participated in an eBay-commissioned survey, conducted by ACNielsen, and a small portion reported that without the Web, they wouldn't have a business.


• Local Search Now 25% of Internet Commercial Activity (survey cunducted by: The Kelsey Group and BizRate.com Feb 2004)

New survey conducted by The Kelsey Group and BizRate.com shows significant usage of search engines by online buyers for finding local business information. “Local commercial searches-those seeking merchants "near my home or work"-represent 25.1% of all searches being performed by online buyers, more than double the amount previously estimated by analysts.


• 50% of U.S. Population Will Shop Online by 2008 (report issued by: Jupiter Research Jan 2004)

U.S. online retail sales are expected to reach $65 billion in 2004, and will continue to grow by a compound annual growth rate of 17 percent through 2008 to top $117 billion, according to a report issued from Jupiter Research (a unit of this site's corporate parent)


• Top 5 Online Marketing Promotions & Promotion Vehicles

The Shop.org/BizRate 2003 eHoliday Mood study produced some interesting results. The top 5 marketing promotions that have been most successful in driving business for the holiday period are; free ship with conditions (59%), online only sale (27%), free ship no conditions (24%), offline-online sale (22%), and free gift with purchase (14%). When asked what promotion vehicle has been most successful in driving business, the response was their own email promotion (86%), search engine marketing (58%), affiliate marketing (50%), catalog drops (37%), and portal shopping listing (17%).


• Internet Traffic Peaks on Mondays (report issued by: OneStat.com Dec 2003 )

OneStat.com reports that the most popular day to go online is Monday, while EmailLabs identified Tuesday as the most effective day for companies to distribute e-mail newsletters. Based on data from 525 client accounts, EmailLabs' analysis of delivery trends found that e-marketers are sending out newsletters on Tuesday — with more than one-quarter of messages being distributed that day — slightly edging out Wednesday in the popularity contest. Wednesday ruled as the most popular day for messages to be opened, as well as the day with the highest click-through rate. The report also found that less than 3 percent of all legitimate marketing messages are sent on the weekend, mainly because many spammers use that time to fill inboxes. EmailLabs also found that 9 am (Pacific Time) was the most popular time to send messages and 11 am was the most popular open time, and the highest click-through time.