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CATALYSTGROUP
vs.
Search Engine Preference
June 2009
GOOGLE/BING - SEARCH ENGINE PREFERENCE
Objectives
2
Overall Impressions
Gather users’ general impressions of the Google and
Bing search engines, including overall functionality,
presentation of content, and overall fit with user
expectations and needs.
Ad Space Performance
To gauge the amount of attention paid to advertising
space on the two sites and to determine if any aspects
of the page design might influence this.
Future Use
Gauge users’ reaction to the overall value of the Google
and Bing search engines and their willingness to use or
continue to use one or the other.
GOOGLE/BING - SEARCH ENGINE PREFERENCE
Methodology
1. Participants
12 users were tested.
All users reported they used Google as their main
search engine. We were not able to locate users who
were not familiar with Google to some extent.
None of the users had used Bing
2. Eye Tracking
Users performed a “hotel search” and a “shopping
search for digital cameras” on both Google and Bing.
Eye Tracking data was collected for the Homepages
and Search Results pages (i.e. the 1st and 2nd pages
that users saw).
Users completed both searches on one site and then
repeated the searches on the other site. The task
order was rotated to mitigate bias effects. When
analyzing users’ eye tracking data we only used the
data gathered from the site they visited first.
3. Retrospective Analysis
Users were shown a replay of their Eye Tracking recording
and asked to provide a commentary on their thoughts
and actions.
4. Think-Aloud & Review
Users were asked to comment on expectations,
likes/dislikes, ease/difficulty, suggested improvements,
usefulness, etc.
5. Survey
Users were asked to complete a short survey to sum up
their sentiments.
3
GOOGLE/BING - SEARCH ENGINE PREFERENCE
1.
Most users preferred the Bing
visual design and t