The Power of Search: Forget Precision, Recall, and Accuracy of the Items in the Results List
November 3, 2017
Thank you, search engine optimization. I now have incontrovertible proof that search which is useful to the user is irrelevant. Maybe dead? Maybe buried?
Navigate to “70 SEO Statistics That Prove the Power of Search.” Prepare to be amazed. If you actually know about precision and recall, you will find that those methods for evaluating the efficacy of a search system belong in the grave.
The “power of search” is measured by statistics presented without silliness like sample size, date, confidence level, etc. Who needs these artifacts from Statistics 101?
Let’s look at four of the 70 statistics. Please, consult the original for the full listing which proves the power of search. I like that “proves” angle too.
First, users don’t do much research. Here’s the statistic which proves the assertion “Online users just take what the system serves up”:
75% of users never click past the first page of search results.
So if you, your product, your company, or your “fake news” item does not appear at the top of a search result list or an output determined by a black box algorithm, you, your product, your company, or your “fake news” item does not exist. How’s that grab you?
Second, users are not too swift when it comes to figuring out what’s content and what’s an ad. Amazing assertion, right?
55% of searchers don’t know which links in the Search Engine Results pages are PPC ads, according to a new survey. And up to 50% of users shown a Search engine Results page screenshot could not identify paid ads.
If one can’t figure out what’s an ad, how many users can figure out if a statistic, like those which prove search is powerful, can differentiate accurate information from hogwash?
Third, search results mean trust. Sound crazy to you? No. Well, it sure does to me. Here’s the statistic that proves search eats Wheaties:
88% of consumers trust online reviews as much as they trust personal recommendations.
I believe everything I read on the Internet, don’t you?
Third, if you blog, prepare to be inundated with sales calls and maybe money. Here’s the statistics which prove that search has power:
Companies who blog have 434% more indexed pages than those who don’t. That means more leads!
I would suggest that if you company engages in hate speech, certain product sales, or violates terms of use—you will have to chase customers on the Dark Web or via i2p. By the way, I think a company is a thing, so “which” not “who” seems more appropriate. Don’t y’all agree?
Fourth, using pictures is a good thing. Hey, who has time to read? This statistic conflicts with “longer articles are better” but I get the picture:
The Backlinko study also reported that using a single image within content will increase search engine rankings.
Here’s a picture to make this write up more compelling:
Search has power. Really?
Stephen E Arnold, November 3, 2017
Comments
-
- Subscribe to Beyond Search
Feature archive
News archive
-
