1 per cent of web users are unaware of how Internet Search Engine results are compiled, according to research released today by Fasthosts Internet Ltd, (www.fasthosts.co.uk), the UK's number one web hosting company. The study of 1600 UK consumers(1), which focused on the public's day-to-day use of search engines, found that the vast majority of Britons either have no idea or an inaccurate view of how online search results are determined. The research also found that consumers today have a strong preference for 'Organic' or main search engine results as opposed to additional 'Sponsored' links which website publishers pay to display, with more than 1 in 3 (38 per cent) choosing to ignore these when they appear.
As our gateways to the Web, Internet Search Engines are the most commonly used websites for the majority of UK web surfers. However, Fasthosts' 'Online Search Matters Survey' found that over two thirds of consumers remain in the dark about how the search engine results they use come about. Whilst 97 per cent of those questioned frequently use search engines, only 29 per cent are aware that search results are ordered according to a combination of relevance to search terms and optimisation techniques used by the individual website owners.
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