ImplIcatIons of User engagement wIth search engIne resUlt pages

Implications of User Engagementwith Search Engine Result PagesJeremi Karnell • Dan Berlin • Greg Slama

executive summary : :As consumer behavior continues to rapidly migrate to an on-demand model wherethe customer controls the purchase cycle, search engine usage continues to rise as aprimary means of Web navigation. With the massive increase in multimedia contentthat is uploaded, stored, and consumed online, major search engines have continuedto evolve beyond simply indexing pages of text and are now providing resultsbased on a full array of video, audio, and image formats. The inclusion of thesedigital assets is widely known as Universal Search. As Universal Search becomesa more permanent fixture within search engine result pages (SERPs), users’interactions with the new generation of results should be of particular interest tocompanies who are focused on generating quality search engine traffic.It is well established that rankings on a SERP have much to do with whether a user islikely to click on a given result and higher rankings can actually have a positive effecton a brand’s perception and ‘likeability’ (MarketingSherpa, 2009). With the onset ofUniversal Search results, this study sought to measure the user impact of this newgeneration of search engine result pages. Specifically, we wanted to understand ifthere was a difference in emotional engagement with the results and if that wouldimpact click propensity in Paid and Natural Search.Copyright © May 25, 2009, One to One Interactive www.onetooneinteractive.com 1

introduction_serps & seo : :Currently, one of the most effective and efficient ways to search for digital content isthrough the use of a search engine such as Google or Yahoo. In fact, a recent Forresterreport indicates that search engines are the primary method of finding Web sites: 72%of adults said that they use search engines to find Web sites (Li, 2008). These searchengines rank Web site pages and ads based on various criteria to determine relevanceto a particular search (Figure 1).Natural searchRelevance of contentRelevance of contentKeyword use it Title attributespaid searchBidQuality ScoreSite architectureClick Through Rate (CTR)Link popularity (anchor text & topical relevance)Domain ageFigure 1: Search Ranking FactorsWe are now moving into a new generation of search optimization where digital assetsbeyond pure text come into play. Introduced by Google in May 2007, Universal Searchattempts to index, categorize, and display the most relevant information for a searchquery regardless of format (audio, video, images, news, local results, and other richcontent). This search method is quickly replacing the traditional text only results andis constantly adjusting to better conform to user behavior and intent. This study servesto highlight the impact that Universal Search results have on consumer engagementand click behavior. Our findings underscore the need for marketers to consider theoptimization of all digital assets to maintain a competitive advantage as we move tothe next generation of SEM.Copyright © May 25, 2009, One to One Interactive www.onetooneinteractive.com 3

quantemo engagement index : :While viewing the Web pages, participants were connected toOTOinsights’ Quantemo neuromarketing research system. Quantemosimultaneously records biophysical signals in addition to eye and clicktracking information.The recorded biophysical measures are combined into a single representativemeasure of physiological engagement: the Quantemo Physiological Index, orQPI. The QPI serves as a single point of reference for the overall level of physicalengagement (or disengagement) exhibited by a research participant. HigherQPI scores represent stronger physiological engagement, while negative QPIscores represent weaker physiological engagement.After viewing a page, the participant fills out two surveys: the Geneva EmotionWheel (GEW) and an Aesthetic Likert (1-5) scale. Developed by the researchers atthe Swiss National Research Center in Affective Sciences, the GEW is designed toobtain self-report information on a wide range of felt emotions elicited by aparticular event (in the case of this study, observing a Web page) (Scherer, 2005).The QPI, aesthetic score, and emotional descriptor scores are combined to formthe Quantemo Engagement Index, or QEI. Calculating the QEI produces a single,representative and holistic measure of user engagement that allows researchers tocorrelate the objective physiological data of the QPI with the subjective, self-reportdata of the ratings and emotion scores.Copyright © May 25, 2009, One to One Interactive www.onetooneinteractive.com 7

insights : :SERPs which include video and image results reinforce eyeballs to stay focusedon the first page top paid and natural search results.The “Universal w/ Paid” SERP is what visitors will encounter when utilizing searchengines. As such, we examined the eye-tracking and click results from this SERPtype to determine where each user first looked and clicked. It is no surprise thatthe top paid links received a large number of first fixations and clicks(see Figures 7 and 8, respectively).UNIVERSAL w/ paid search first fixationUNIVERSAL w/ paid search clicks45%12% of participants40%35%30%25%20%15%10%5%0%39%toppaid22%pagetop17%video11%1 stlink6% 6%rightpaid1 stpicture% of participants1086420731 stLink63Toppaid24otherlink13video13rightpaid21image12multilinks1st click2nd click112ndlinks1newsFigure 7: Universal with Paid First FixationsFigure 8: Universal with PaidHowever, notice the location of the video results in both graphs. The video wastypically fixated upon before both the first natural and the right paid links. The videolink also received more clicks than the multilinks and the second natural link. Thesefindings have great implications for those companies who are already optimizing theirWeb site: it may not be enough to optimize just the text. For example, consider theGoogle multilinks which are an indented list of site topics determned by the searchengine when a site is ranked in the first natural position. Figure 8 shows that the videoresults are likely to receive more clicks than the multilinks.Copyright © May 25, 2009, One to One Interactive www.onetooneinteractive.com 8

Videos and image results increase engagement on a SERPUtilizing the QEI as an overall measure of engagement,we found that the SERPs with images and videos weremore engaging to the participants. Figure 13 shows theresults of the physiological and emotional engagementdata produced by the QEI. The results in the middleshow the QEI for the Universal results, which had ahigher engagement level than those without Universalresults. This is not surprising given that images andvideos will give the user ‘instant gratification’ with asingle gaze. That is, instead of having to read text, theuser will quickly process the images and videos, increasingengagement. These findings underscore the impact thatbrand marketing has on search marketing strategies.higherengagementlowerengagement0.700.600.500.400.300.200.100.00Quantemo Engagement index0.07naturalonlyResults had images and videos0.37universalw/ paid0.44universalonlyFigure 13: Engagement levels for 4 SERP Types0.08Naturalw/ paidA prime example of the salience of images, particularly brand logos, is evident from the gaze plot in Figure 14. Thisfigure shows 28 seconds of eye tracking for a particular participant. Notice the amount of time that the participantspends on the Verizon and Comcast logos in the image area. It took the participant 50 fixations to get to the images,but then spent 38 fixations on the images themselves. There is no doubt that these logos were interesting to theparticipant. This has the implication that further research is warranted to determine if SERPs with brand imagesresult in a higher propensity to make a purchase.Figure 14: 28 Second Gaze PlotCopyright © May 25, 2009, One to One Interactive www.onetooneinteractive.com11

Implications for Marketers• Creating a holistic strategy which considers all search interactions• will provide a competitive advantage and drive more engaged visitors• through your SEM activities•• Begin to think about current digital assets and how they can be• leveraged to gain additional reach with the search engines• Top Paid results are the highest focal point within typical search• results and provide a great branding opportunity• It will continue to be important for brands to maintain high positions• within Paid and Natural results to generate click volume and increase• brand perceptions• Natural Search top results will continue to be the primary driver• of search engine traffic and should be a major focus on optimization• initiativesImplications for Future Studies• Does media in searches change users’ propensity to purchase?• Does brand exposure on a SERP change users’ engagement and• click behavior?• Do positional changes in non-text results impact users’ click• propensity and engagement?ConclusionsThe findings from this study highlight the importance of optimizing media (video &images) for companies who want to drive traffic to their Web site from search engines.Traditional SEO efforts may help get links in the top few positions of the natural results.But, the Universal search paradigm demands that companies pay closer attention totheir optimization of digital assets to increase the likelihood of inclusion in searchresults. This study provides evidence that videos and images are not only changinga user’s first fixation, but that these media formats positively increase the user’semotional engagement during the time they were reviewing the Universal SERP. Thisunderscores the importance of branding and the strategic role it should play in searchengine marketing efforts.Copyright © May 25, 2009, One to One Interactive www.onetooneinteractive.com12

works cited : :Li, C. (2008). How Consumers Find Web Sites. Cambridge, MA:Forrester Research, Inc.MarketingSherpa. (2009). 2009 Search Marketing Benchmark Guide.Warren, RI: MarketingSherpa LLC.Nielsen, J. (2006, April 17). F-Shaped Pattern for Reading Web Content.Retrieved March 19, 2009, from Jakob Nielsen’s Alertbox:http://www.useit.com/alertbox/reading_pattern.htmlScherer, K. (2005). What Are Emotions? And How Can They Be Measured?Social Science Information , 44 (4), 695-729.Copyright © May 25, 2009, One to One Interactive www.onetooneinteractive.com 13

amplifying engagementNew knowledge about human behavior brought to light by social and neurosciencehas fundamentally called into question the old mental models of how advertisingand marketing work. Gone is the notion that consumers make decisions in alinear think-feel-do way and behavior is guided by rational-only principles. Instead,memories, emotions, associations, and thoughts play a primary role in howindividuals relate and ultimately engage with brands.OTOinsights is a primary research offering that is breaking new ground in neuromarketingto offer clients advanced and scientific levels of insights into how theirconsumers engage with them across the landscape of new media channels.To learn more about OTOinsights, visit www.otoinsights.comComplete One-To-One Solutions for Brands, Agencies, and PublishersOTOinsights is a One to One Interactive company. Established in 1997, One to OneInteractive is the first enterprise to assemble a complete solution for brands, agencies,and publishers executing one-to-one marketing strategies. By bringing together oneof the nation’s leading digital marketing agencies, the world’s most comprehensiveportfolio of permission marketing platforms, unique performance-based social medianetworks, and cutting-edge neuromarketing research techniques, the companiesof One to One Interactive build informed and creative customer/constituent strategieson the belief that digital media’s ability to enable engaging one-to-one dialogues isthe future of marketing.To learn more about One to One Interactive, visit www.onetooneinteractive.comOTOinsights529 Main Street, Charlestown, MA 02129617.425.7300www.otoinsights.cominfo@otoinsights.comCopyright © May 25, 2009, One to One Interactive www.onetooneinteractive.com 14