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A Need for Vertical Search

This page specifically examines the search behavior of business and professional users.

On average, professional workers currently spend six hours a week using consumer search engines for work related queries. However, they generally find the search results less than satisfying. Professional workers are increasingly using B2B trade specific Web sites.

Most Internet Usage Takes Place during Working Hours

According to Nielsen NetRatings, most Internet usage takes place during working hours. Professional workers also tend to have access to the latest broadband, wireless and PDA technology.

Source: Nielsen / Netratings

Professional Workers Spend Time Gathering Information

Professional users surveyed in Outsell's research spent nearly 12 hours a week on information tasks, with half this time being used searching for information online.

This is mirrored by a recent UK Association of Online Publishers (AOP) survey that indicated UK professional workers are online for work purposes on average 4.8 hours a week.

Professional Workers Use Internet Search Engines

According to recent research by Outsell, despite the widespread availability of subscription based business information search tools such as Factiva and LexisNexis on corporate intranets, professional workers still perform work related searches three times more often on Internet search engines such as Google.

Source: Outsell's Information Markets and Users Database (Survey responses through June 2006)

The Best Results need to be on the Front Page

On August 6, 2006, AOL's research division released a database of approximately 658,000 users and the searches each made from March to May 2006. The searches amounted to 20 million Web queries. This large data sample showed that:

• 90% of user clicks are on the first page
• 47% of searches result in no clicks on any of the returned results
• 4% of user clicks are on the second page
• 42% of clicks are on the 1st placed result

This research is consistent with eye tracking studies from De Vos & Jansen indicating that users tend to only look at the first page of results. And, as general consumer search engines start to introduce consumer centric video, maps and images into results pages, this is likely to result in professional users having lower productivity, and even less ability to find what they need.

Internet Search Engines Don't Satisfy

Findings from Jupiter Research highlight that consumer search engines produce results that:

• Are not directly relevant to a user's query
• Return too many results
• Force the user to try different search engines
• Only produce a relevant answer 40% of the time

Professionals Use B2B Web Sites

A recent end user survey conducted by the UK Association of Online Publishers on "the role of B2B Web sites" confirmed that professional users visit B2B Web sites regularly for work related queries and view them as an integral part of their workflow.

The Opportunity for Vertical Search for Professionals

The above research not only indicates a need among business users for a more focused, relevant way to search the Web, it also suggests that an ideal place for the vertical search facility is for it to be integrated into a trusted B2B web site. 

From the point of view of B2B publishers, providing a focused vertical search for their communities can help to complete their portfolio of resources and tools and help further embed themselves into the workflows of their communities.

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