The Power of Search – it's In the Numbers

I was reading a recent report by Harris Interactive stating that 80% of all Internet traffic begins at a search engine. Perhaps even more interesting was a number from Double Click reporting that 41% of web users use search for simple web navigation by typing a query directly into a search engine versus typing the URL directly into their browser. Those are astounding numbers that clearly magnify the importance of search marketing.

As marketers, we would like to think that our target audiences are going about the trouble of typing in our dedicated URLs and that we are able to effectively track the results of everything we do. However, it is clear that consumers are choosing to behave differently. So what does it mean to marketers and clients alike? Well, you better have an excellent brand strategy and that strategy needs to focus of awareness as much as it does on perception, because, if you are not occupying some space in the minds of your target audience, it is not very likely that you will be successful.