Vertical Search and The Changing Digital World

Slide 1: The changing digital environment and vertical search Linus Gregoriadis, Head of Research E-consultancy.com Email: linus@e-consultancy.com Website: www.e-consultancy.com

Slide 2: Presentation overview 1. About E-consultancy 2. About Vertical Search Report 3. Atomisation 4. Vertical search - opportunities and challenges 2

Slide 3: Vertical Search Survey • More than 500 respondents – October / November 2007 – Sponsored by Convera – E-consultancy, IAB, AOP, ABM • Business / professional internet users • Publishers • Advertisers 3

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Slide 5: Atomisation

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Slide 8: Atomisation of E-consultancy • Google News • Blog Search • Bloglines • Technorati • Topix • digg • reddit.com • etc. etc. 8

Slide 9: • 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 9

Slide 10: Jakob's Law of the Web User Experience “Users spend most of their time on other sites” 10

Slide 11: Vertical Search

Slide 12: 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’. 12

Slide 13: Vertical Search Engines • Globalspec (for engineers) • Searchmedica (for UK doctors) • Scirus (science) • Kosmix (health, auto, travel) • Trulia (real estate) • Truveo (video) • Search-autoparts (automotive) 13

Slide 14: 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’ 14

Slide 15: Disadvantages for users • Lack of good vertical search engine in sector 38%* • Results not comprehensive enough 32% • No better than popular search engine 27% • Hard to remember URL 23% * Percentage of users citing as ‘major downside’ 15

Slide 16: 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. 16

Slide 17: 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’ 17

Slide 18: Potential downside for publishers • Hassle (support/maintenance) 32%* • Point users to competitors 32% • Resource issues 26% * Percentage of publishers citing as ‘major downside’ 18

Slide 19: Vertical Search Toolbars • 80% of respondents said they would use a search toolbar that delivered a vertical search for their industry / profession. 19

Slide 20: 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. 20

Slide 21: Questions? Linus Gregoriadis, Head of Research E-consultancy.com Email: linus@e-consultancy.com Website: www.e-consultancy.com