Study: Search not keeping up with customer expectations

According to new data out from SearchDex, retailers aren't serving up what customers want on the search front. Researchers found that more than half (58%) of Americans are now using search engines to research shopping trips, but that targeted ads and outdated search results are frustrating them.

by Kristina Knight

"An online search is the first conversation a consumer will have with a brand or retailer--it's potentially the beginning of the relationship. And if that brand or retailer comes up in an irrelevant search, the relationship has already been damaged. Winning the SEO game is not about getting in front of the consumer whenever and however possible but about using sophisticated SEO to get in front of consumers who are looking for what you have to offer," said Dave Chaplin, CEO of SearchDex.

According to the SearchDex report most US adults have a search strategy for finding the right information - 41% use a particular set of keywords and 31% use full/complete sentences when creating a search query. The problem is that they aren't getting the information they want or need. In fact, 21% say they are stymied by outdated search results. Other interesting findings include:

• 39% of shoppers are annoyed by targeted ads
• 44% worry that retailers will sell their search histories, thus increasing the amount of targeted ads they would see
• 58% start a search at a search engine, not a retailer or shopping portal

As to what shoppers are searching for, 27% are searching for product reviews, 25% are comparing prices, and 15% are looking for coupon codes.

Tags: advertising, ecommerce, search marketing, SearchDex, SEO tips, SEO trends