Google/TechTarget Report Reveals Tech Buyers’ Search Patterns
Monday, February 23rd, 2009 - by Becky Sheetz-RunkleA new joint study from Google and Tech Target, examines the search habits of technology professionals when making purchasing decisions. The purpose of the The Google/TechTarget Research Project:
- Reveal the mindset of the IT buyer in context of their purchase process and search mode
- Put marketers in a better position to make keyword buys, choose content to syndicate
- Determine optimal selection and scheduling of content and website media to attract the IT buyer
Sounds good, doesn’t it?
Here is a recap of some important findings:
- Different search terms are used by buyers at various stages of the IT buying process
- There is a concrete relationship between search and branding, as well as lead generation and ROI implications
- Surprises were found regarding buyer utilization of new media including mobile devices, video and RSS feeds
- Information source preferences were established
Here are some more important findings on the brand impact of search:
- 53% of IT purchasers use search to discover vendor solutions they are not previously aware of
- 86% of searchers look for a familiar brand or manufacturer before clicking on a search result
- 67% willing to click on the link of a manufacturer with which they are not familiar
- Over 40% of searchers will click on search ads that are contextual to content on IT Publisher sites, and 46% willing to read those ads.
There is some good stuff in this report, and we will be examining it in greater detail throughout the week. Thanks to Michael Stelzner’s “Writing White Papers” blog for bringing it to my attention.
