The State of Search: 2021 Edition
2020 was a year like no other, especially when it came to finding pertinent information in a timely manner. With an increased need for knowledge, websites, intranets and apps across many industries experienced a surge in search traffic. The following report is a gathering of Cludo customer search data and trends for the year of 2020. Let’s dive in!
2020 was a year of digital transformation, which lead to a boost in online traffic. In 2020, Cludo saw an increase of 13% in overall search traffic across all customers. The growth in on-platform search usage can be attributed to many factors, most notably the outbreak of COVID-19 and the uncertainty surrounding it.
Below we’ll discuss which industries saw the most growth in their search usage, which industries saw a decline in search usage and what may have contributed to these trends.
In 2020, the five industries that saw that largest amount of growth in their internal searches were Media, Manufacturing, Government, Technology and Higher Education.
The growth in internal search usage for these industries is partially a result of unforeseen events, showing that the content on your digital platforms may not always be relevant. Paying attention to not only the seasonality of your content but search trends and analytics is crucial to forming an effective strategy and delivering a pleasant user experience.
As search usage continues to increase, organizations will need to ensure they have a well implemented and highly relevant search experience in place, whether it’s on their website, app, intranet or ecommerce shop.
In 2020 the two industries that saw the largest decline in search traffic were Insurance, seeing nearly a 49% decrease in search queries, and Finance, with a 21% overall decrease in searches. These numbers could demonstrate one of three things:
1) that digital visitors aren’t using the search tool as intended,
2) your platform isn’t serving relevant results, encouraging them to leave instead of continuing their search, or
3) your overall traffic has declined. In 2020, it was likely a combination of factors that contributed to changes in these industries.
If you notice an overall decrease in searches, or a decrease in searches over a period, it’s time to evaluate your website and digital strategy. A few easy changes include making your search bar more prominent, identifying and filling gaps in content as well as optimizing your search through machine learning. If these changes don’t seem like a feasible option, it may be time to consider a comprehensive search partner like Cludo.
The search result click-through-rate (CTR) varied quite a bit by industry in 2020. Some industries saw CTRs that matched their annual search level, while others had a lower CTR per search even with high traffic levels. These numbers are worth giving attention to in order to gauge how well your search is performing.
These click-through-rates show how important your search relevance is. If the content visitors seek isn’t at the top of results but buried down the page (or even on a second or third page), they may become discouraged and want to abandon your content.
Be sure to pay attention to your search CTR in order to identify any ineffective searches within your results. From there, it may be time to write new content, add new documents, or utilize a tool like Page Rankings to push those results to the top of the page.
The use of search tools on desktop devices proved more popular in 2020 than mobile devices and tablets at about 71% of search traffic. Mobile search traffic was about 26% of overall search traffic and tablets accounted for 4%. This rise in desktop usage could be attributed to an increase in people working from home and having easier access to desktop computers.
With the varying distribution of desktop and mobile traffic, it’s important to ensure that your search delivers no matter what type of device is used. Pay attention to device usage analytics, especially the search origin page. This data can help determine whether your website, app or web shop are missing crucial information.
As content discovery continues to grow in importance worldwide, search has become recognized by digital platform visitors as the most efficient way of finding what they are looking for, as opposed to using the main menu navigation.
Some of the highest search volume for Cludo customers occurred in the following countries:
As search adoption continues to grow, it’s important that every facet of your search is optimized. Which means your app, ecommerce shop and organization’s internal search needs to be prepared to deliver across all platforms.
The future of search is about improved user experiences and accessibility. Enhancing the user experience is a sure-fire way to keep visitors happy and coming back to your site or app every time. One way to ensure users return is through a personalized search experience. By combining intelligent, AI-powered search and your search analytics, you have the power to tailor every search to every user. In addition to personalization, implementing functionality like voice search will expand the usability and accessibility of your search. Nearly seven out of ten people prefer to use voice search to conduct searches, whether that is to gather information or to purchase goods. By providing the option to use voice search, your overall search rate will grow and potentially your conversions too.
As we can see from the data above, search is a necessity and is here to stay. Make sure every part of your digital experience is optimized, beginning with exemplary search.
About Cludo
Cludo is a powerful search and insights platform that helps your website and content teams save time and create more value. Unlike passive search, our unique platform enables you to custom rank and prioritize search results, automatically creating an intelligent guided search experience for website visitors.