Consumers shopping for autos use search engines extensively, according to a study released yesterday by Yahoo and online market research firm Compete Inc., Boston.
Nearly 70 percent of automobile researchers who bought a vehicle said search was the first place they turned to when they researched their vehicle, according to the survey of 840 online users and Compete's analysis of the online behavior of its panel of 2 million Internet users.
Search engines delivered 19.1 percent of visitors to automotive Web sites. Most consumers said search was the most credible source in helping them throughout the buying process. About half of auto buyers said search helped them narrow the list of vehicles they were considering before purchase.
“Through search engines, consumers have declared their interest, and, in a fast and efficient manner, search provides the results in an unbiased way,” said Don Aydon, category lead, automotive at Yahoo Search Marketing.
Christine Blank covers online marketing and advertising, including e-mail marketing and paid search, for DM News and DMNews.com. To keep up with the latest developments in these areas, subscribe to our daily and weekly e-mail newsletters by visiting www.dmnews.com/newsletters
