Report: 30% of web searches fail

Information Outlook, July, 2006

Almost one-third of Internet searches don't satisfy user needs, a new survey shows.

The new research from Outsell Inc. shows several surprising shifts over the past year in the expectations, habits and needs of workers seeking online information.

Perhaps most surprising, the report uncovers a 30 percent failure rate of Internet searches, despite search engines' unchallenged status as the first stop in user research.

The study also finds that on-the-job users are spending more time than ever to find information, rather than analyzing data. Users now spend an average of 12 hours of their work weeks on search tasks, up from an earlier high of 10.9 hours.

The study, based on interviews with 7,000 professionals in corporate, government, healthcare, and academic settings compares information users' needs and behaviors "now" (using data gathered from November 2005-February 2006) with previous findings (based on data gathered from September 2004-January 2005). The Outsell report, "2006 User Update-How Information Providers Can Keep Pace with User Demands for Time-Saving Solutions," also reveals:

Press releases are becoming a treasure trove of information. In fact, they have overtaken trade journals as the top information source for knowledge workers, followed by trade journals and publications, reference books, academic journals, and text-books.

While users appear to be shifting towards intranets and away from the Internet as their resource of first choice, search failure rates are just as high inside the firewall, at a mean of 31 percent.

About 66 percent of respondents are using wireless handhelds, and among that population, 71 percent are accessing and using "real" content on them. For instance, 29 percent are accessing e-books, and 18 percent are accessing news.

Workers are gleaning information from blogs, as well as more traditional sources. The average respondent to Outsell surveys is reading nine blogs.