19 August 2003

Clustering of Search Results Increases Click-Through Rates

Pittsburgh, PA— Web searchers click 30%-100% more on paid listings when presented with search results using real-time clustering technology. This conclusion is the result of 'before and after' trials at several web search sites that include paid listings. When users view clustered search results rather than simple ranked lists, the page views per search session increase by 100%-150%, which leads to breakthrough improvements in paid-listings click-through rates (CTR).

These measurements were done by Vivisimo, a provider of award-winning software for clustering search results, and two of its search engine customers.

Clustering organizes documents or search results into groups based on their overall similarity. Traditionally, this has required taxonomy building and classification schemes which are costly, complicated and time-consuming. With real-time clustering, search results are automatically organized into meaningful hierarchical folders completely on the fly and out of the box, without requiring any pre-processing. The user is now presented with organized information rather than long lists of results.

"Click-through rates are an important measure of the success of paid listings," said Tony Philipp, EVP, Vivisimo, Inc. "We have found click-through rates to increase by 30% in trials on Vivisimo's own search destination site, and by more than 100% at two of our customer web sites. These are significant improvements that directly impact a search engine's top line."

  • More Page Views - Studies have shown that with simple ranked results, only 5% of visitors go beyond the first page (IDC, 2002). With clustering, users click on more than one folder per visit on average - several Vivisimo customers report a 2-3 folders average - which at least doubles the page views (first page plus one cluster). Hence, users view many more PPC listings than with ranked results.
  • Discovery - Clustering allows users to view multiple contexts of their search, enabling them to discover unsuspected themes. For example, users who search for "Europe Vacation" will view clusters titled vacation rentals, ski, rail, destinations, cruises, etc. which show many options they might not have recognized when viewing simple ranked search results. This subtle suggestion of options encourages users to explore more listings.
  • Focused Interest - Users who click on a folder confirm their interest in the folder's topic. Hence, search results within the folder are more likely to be clicked on than search results from the simple ranked list, which represents a variety of topics, many of no interest to the user.

About Vivisimo

Vivisimo does search right by combining the simplicity and innovation of consumer search with the flexibility and control of enterprise software. The company works with customers to understand their goals and quickly deploy solutions that maximize the business value of information—with an interface users love. Vivisimo serves its global client base through headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA, and Paris, France, and partners throughout the world. Please visit vivisimo.com to learn more about us and visit our Search Done Right blog to learn more about enterprise search.

###