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A new whitepaper by the search marketing firm, iProspect shows that 62% of search users click on links found on the first page of search results.

Overall, 90% of search users will click on links found in the first three pages of search results.

The findings show the increased importance of first page placement, along with the value of being found in the Top20 and Top30.

They also show that search engine users are becoming more sophisticated.

This is the third iProspect study of search user behaviour. In 2002 and 2004, they commissioned Jupiter Research to conduct similar surveys.

This year, 2,369 survey respondents were asked a series of questions in a Jupiter Research study commissioned by iProspect.

Users are able to find information faster and have learned several ways to refine their search queries rather than conduct a new search on another engine.

Over the three surveys, users are increasingly finding information faster. In 2002, survey respondents said they found relevant information on the first page only 48% of the time and 60% in 2004.

Users are also quicker to alter or abandon unsuccessful keyword queries than in previous years.

41% of respondents would either alter or abandon the keywords used in their queries if they could not find results on the first page.

82% of the time, respondents would alter search queries by adding descriptive words, most often resulting in a successful search session.

Another important note from the survey is that only 12% of respondents would follow a search past the first three pages of results, down from 22% in 2002.

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Jim Hedger is the SEO Manager of StepForth Search Engine Placement Inc. Based in Victoria, BC, Canada, StepForth is the result of the consolidation of BraveArt Website Management, Promotion Experts, and Phoenix Creative Works, and has provided professional search engine placement and management services since 1997. http://www.stepforth.com/ Tel - 250-385-1190 Toll Free - 877-385-5526 Fax - 250-385-1198