2004-08-11-皮尤-Data_Memo_on_Search_Engines_7页_148kb

DATA MEMO Summary

Core Content

This document provides an overview of the popularity and importance of search engines in the United States in August 2004, based on surveys and traffic data from the Pew Internet & American Life Project and comScore Networks. It highlights the widespread use of search engines, the frequency of their usage, and the positive sentiment among users.

Main Points

• Search Engine Popularity:
  Search engines are one of the most popular online activities, ranking second only to email. During major news events, news consumption may surpass search engine use, but email remains the most popular activity overall.

• User Demographics:

  • 84% of online Americans have used search engines, equivalent to over 107 million people.
  • More than half of all Internet users use search engines on a daily basis.
  • Over two-thirds of Internet users use search engines at least a couple of times per week.

• Search Frequency:

  • The average Internet user performed 33 searches in June 2004.
  • The average visit to a search engine resulted in 4.4 searches.
  • 44% of searches were conducted from home computers, 49% from work computers, and 7% from university-based computers.

• User Experience:

  • 87% of users find the information they want most of the time.
  • 44% of users say they search for information they absolutely need.
  • 92% of users express confidence in their search skills, with over half feeling "very confident."

• Search Engine Market Share:

  • Google is the most popular search engine, with 47% of users selecting it as their top choice.
  • Yahoo is the second most used, with 26% of users.
  • MSN and AOL are used by 7% and 5% of users, respectively.

• User Reliance:

  • 32% of users say they couldn't live without Internet search engines.
  • 50% of users say they like using search engines but could go back to other methods if needed.
  • 17% of users wouldn't really miss search engines if they couldn't use them.

• Search Purpose:

  • 32% of searches are for information that users most need.
  • 41% of searches are for information that users would not bother looking up without search engines.

• Perception of Fairness and Unbiasedness:

  • 68% of users believe search engines are a fair and unbiased source of information.
  • 19% do not believe this, and 5% say it depends.

• Customer Satisfaction:

  • While users are generally satisfied with search engines, there are gaps between the importance of attributes and the perceived performance.
  • For example, 91% of users consider "returns results that match your needs" important, but only 66% believe their favorite engines deliver this.
  • 85% of users consider "knowing that personal information will not be shared without permission" important, but only 55% believe search engines deliver this.

Key Information

• Total Searches: In June 2004, Americans conducted 3.9 billion total searches using the top 25 search engines.
• Search Time: The average user spent 41 minutes at search engine sites during a typical month.
• Sponsored Results: comScore estimates that 40-45% of searches include sponsored results.
• Local Searches: In March, 7% of searches included local modifiers like city and state names or the words "map" and "directions."
• Browser Toolbars: 7% of searches in June were conducted through browser toolbars.

Survey Highlights

• User Confidence: 92% of users feel confident in their search abilities.

• Search Frequency:

  • 35% of users search at least once a day.
  • About a third search a number of times during the week.
  • The final third search less frequently.

• Search Engine Usage:

  • 44% of users use only one search engine.
  • 48% use 2 or 3 search engines.
  • 7% use more than three.
  • 1% use none.

• User Satisfaction:

  • 87% of users find the information they want most of the time.
  • 20% of users say they are always successful in finding the information they need.

Conclusion

The document underscores the critical role of search engines in daily life, emphasizing their convenience, effectiveness, and the high level of user confidence and satisfaction. It also highlights the importance of privacy and unbiased results, which remain key concerns for users. Google's dominance in user preference and usage is noted, along with the general trend of increasing reliance on search engines for vital information.