The role of search is expanding and diversifying at an accelerating pace. In the age of assistance, search is everywhere and embedded within a range of home devices and smartphones. You can search from more places than ever before, through voice, image or text.
A report by Brightedge (my company) reveals that 57 percent of all website traffic is mobile and 20 percent of mobile queries are voice-activated. These trends look set to become even further embedded over time. Simultaneously, search is moving beyond the traditional web and will soon incorporate augmented reality, alongside existing elements like podcasts and videos.
This has made search more complex for marketers, but its significance is growing, too, as is evidenced by reports being published.
More than 90 percent of consumers report they use search at every stage of their customer lifecycle, a statistic that highlights just how wide-ranging a modern search strategy should be.
A different Brightedge report shows that 51 percent of all website traffic comes from organic search, and according to Forrester Research, 72 percent of businesses report that improving the customer experience is their top priority.
Put simply, improving the customer experience means getting search right. As empowered consumers become more knowledgeable and demanding, the emphasis is placed squarely on marketers to deliver experiences that perform — at every stage of the purchase cycle.
The tips below will help marketers deliver great experiences for their customers across all search touch points.
Be discoverable
Today’s consumer has a reduced attention span and access to an unprecedented trove of information at their fingertips. With a simple search, they can find out whether a brand’s advertising promise becomes reality when the product is purchased.
Unsurprisingly, consumers are taking advantage of this opportunity: On average, they seek out 10.4 pieces of information before making a purchase. Furthermore, according to a BrightLocal study, 88 percent of consumers trust online reviews as much as a personal recommendation, so these impressions really do count when it comes to making commercial decisions.
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