Search marketing is vital for CPG companies, says comScore

25th October 2007

Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies can reap the benefits of offline sales as a result of search marketing, reveals a study by digital media measurer comScore.

It claims that a majority of US customers use the internet to search for CPG products. Nearly 44 million people searched for food goods on the internet, 15.7 million for baby products and nearly ten million for personal care items.

The study also found that 73 per cent of people searching for CPG products were looking for information and help on the goods or brands.

"Search may be one of the most effective means of reaching qualified consumers when and where they are most receptive to learning about our brands. Ultimately this drives offline sales," says Randy Peterson, search innovation manager for Proctor & Gamble, which helped conduct the study.

According to comScore, people who used search engines to find CPG products spent an average of 20 per cent more than people who did not.

The Internet Advertising Bureau recommends that all businesses improve their search engine rating by including key words, building quality content and establishing link networks.