WebProNews

The SES session "Getting Vertical Search Right" addressed where people search and where search is leading us.

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Bill Tancer, General Manager, Global Research, Hitwise said 66 percent of searches are done though Google, followed by Yahoo with 21 percent, MSN 7 percent, Ask 4 percent and other 2 percent.

Twenty-three percent of searches go from search engine to search engine followed by shopping and classified sites with 12 percent. Eleven percent of searches are for entertainment followed by business and finance with 9 percent and education with 8 percent.

Specifically Google Image Search accounts for 2.8 percent of searches, trailed by MySpace with 1.9 percent, Wikipedia with 1.95 percent, eBay 1.06 percent and YouTube1.02 percent.

Search engines can embrace some vertical search but it is difficult. If you can hand craft search results they can get better. Search has to get more specific.

A lot of information is being pushed to consumers from social networks. You can put a question in your status update on your social network and may receive a large amount of answers instead of having to go search. For example if you put in your status you are looking for a new phone, people may give you information recommending cell phones they like.