The changing digital environment and vertical search

Linus Gregoriadis, Head of ResearchE-consultancy.comEmail: linus@e-consultancy.com Website: www.e-consultancy.com

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Presentation overview

1. About E-consultancy

2. About Vertical Search Report

3. Atomisation

4. Vertical search - opportunities and challenges

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Vertical Search Survey

• More than 500 respondents– October / November 2007– Sponsored by Convera– E-consultancy, IAB, AOP, ABM

• Business / professional internet users

• Publishers• Advertisers

Atomisation

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Atomisation of E-consultancy

• Google News• Blog Search• Bloglines• Technorati• Topix• digg• reddit.com• etc. etc.

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• 80% of internet professionals are already using industry-specific RSS feeds.–More than half (54%) have a customised

homepage system.– 35% have used a desktop widget

providing business information, alerts and vertical search.

Source: E-consultancy / Convera Vertical Search Report 2007

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Jakob's Law of the Web User Experience

“Users spend most of their time

on other sites”

Vertical Search

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Vertical Search

• More than half of respondents (54%) said they would be ‘very likely’ to use a search engine that focused specifically on serving their specific business / work needs.– A further 39% said they would be ‘quite likely’.

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Vertical Search Engines

• Globalspec (for engineers)• Searchmedica (for UK doctors)• Scirus (science)• Kosmix (health, auto, travel)• Trulia (real estate)• Truveo (video)• Search-autoparts (automotive)

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Advantages for users

• Quicker to find desired info 53%*

• Focused on business interests & workflow 50%

• Save time 48%

• Top results more relevant 47%

* Percentage of users citing as ‘major advantage’

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Disadvantages for users

• Lack of good vertical search engine in sector 38%*

• Results not comprehensive enough 32%

• No better than popular search engine27%

• Hard to remember URL 23%

* Percentage of users citing as ‘major downside’

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Kicking the Google habit

• Onus is on publishers to build a vertical search engine that is manifestly better than Google and other popular search engines.

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Benefits for publishers

• Improve brand (by becoming authority website) 66%*

• Keep users on-site 63%• Potential to monetise through

advertising 54%• Reclaims online community

from Google 42%

* Percentage of publishers citing as ‘major benefit’

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Potential downside for publishers

• Hassle (support/maintenance)32%*

• Point users to competitors 32%

• Resource issues 26%

* Percentage of publishers citing as ‘major downside’

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Vertical Search Toolbars

• 80% of respondents said they would use a search toolbar that delivered a vertical search for their industry / profession.

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Conclusions• Content and websites - more than just

a destination. – In a world of ‘atomisation’, what is the most

effective and appropriate way of getting the brand out there?

• When it works, vertical search can be a way of building the brand and increasing online ad revenue.

Questions?Linus Gregoriadis, Head of ResearchE-consultancy.comEmail: linus@e-consultancy.com Website: www.e-consultancy.com