Survey: Big search engines satisfy 80% of web users

4th September 2008

About eight in ten internet users are happy with the overall quality of the search results they see from the biggest engines, according to a new Canadian study.

Undertaken by Ipsos Reid, the survey also indicated that search engine optimisation strategies appear to be offering success for some companies, with 75 per cent of users stating that they are able to find what they want on the first page of search results.

However, more than six in ten respondents said they were sceptical of the potential paid search ads in terms of successful queries, something that may be down to the old practice of including such ads in organic listings, Ipsos Reid's Mark Laver remarked.

"The measures search engines have taken to place advertisements away from regular search results is proving to be very pleasing for the online community and may change opinions of paid search advertising in the coming years," he added.

Search giant Google came first in the internet portals and search category of the American Consumer Satisfaction Index, which was compiled by the University of Michigan, last month.