BY Courtney Huckabay
Google found that mobile searches that include “best” have grown over 80 percent in the past two years. At the same time, searches ending with “to avoid” have grown 1.5 times in the same span, and searches for “worst” are also on the rise, according to a post in Marketing Land.
“Is ____ worth it,” another key mobile search phrase becoming increasingly popular, also grew over 80 percent. And Google isn’t the only place people search. YouTube has long been touted as a secondary search engine. For instance, users’ watch time of “does it work” videos grew by more than 11x in the past two years, according to Google."
Though Google reigns supreme, retailers could be missing out on potential customers by ignoring Bing. Shoppers could be asking the same, "What's the best …?" questions on Bing for comparison. In fact, the new AudienceSCAN survey found a whopping 21% of Americans actually search Bing most often!
"This all represents a trend long in the making," Brian Solis writes. "Among everyday consumers, trust in brands and executives erodes every year."
Businesses can build trust and confidence with searching consumers by positioning products and services as answers to the questions they're asking while searching. Emphasizing "made in the USA" could nail down consumers as well. 43% of Bing Searchers make an effort to buy American whenever possible, according to the most recent AudienceSCAN data.
"Trust is increasingly democratized and less hierarchical, according to Edelman’s annual Trust Barometer report. Edelman found, for the first time, that 60 percent of consumers view “a person like yourself” as a credible a source for information about a company as a technical or academic expert.
Marketers are already “listening” to social media and reviewing sites to track sentiment and share of voice. But not many are following the discovery process of their customers in Google or YouTube search. These are among the first places super-empowered consumers go to seek out what’s best and what to avoid."
Featuring customer reviews and testimonials on advertisers' websites helps earn and maintain credibility. Consider posting videos from real-life customers using the products. The latest AudienceSCAN study showed 43% of Bing Searchers usually read reviews or comments from others who have already purchased the product they are considering.
"Remember, the best experiences and the worst experiences oftentimes become memories. And once they’re shared, they become the guideposts for consumers seeking real-time direction. Informed brands can now serve as adviser brands by understanding concerns and proactively addressing them to genuinely guide consumers on their journeys."
AudienceSCAN data is available as part of a subscription to AdMall for Agencies, or with the SalesFuel API. Media companies can access AudienceSCAN data through the AudienceSCAN Reports in AdMall.