Natural search results ‘more trusted’

Online marketers may be wise to focus on achieving higher natural search rankings in light of recent research.

The 2008 Search Attitudes Report from advisory agency Tamar indicates mistrust of sponsored links from consumers.

Extra information typically provided alongside natural search results is also a driving factor in such entries receiving more clickthroughs than their paid counterparts.

Neil Jackson, search director at Tamar, says: “It is more important than ever that brands move away from an over-reliance on paid search and implement a joined-up search strategy.”

Some 31 per cent of respondents state that they opt for natural search results as they believe their search engine of choice is capable of identifying the best quality sites for a given query.

The news follows guidance from internet analyst comScore, which suggested that marketers could benefit from knowing their audience’s surfing habits.

According to the organisation, consumers who fall into one group - such as heavy online news readers - are more likely to exhibit other characteristics such as an interest in politics or finance.