Eyetracking study: how do users look at results in Google and Bing?

How do users react to the new layouts of search engine results on Google, put in place to improve the user experience, such as the removal of AdWords ads to the right of the results, or rich snippets appearing less often…?

Few recent eyetracking studies — a term that refers to techniques for studying gaze or eye behavior — have been carried out on this subject. The web optimization agency Conversion XL tried to learn more about the results offered by Google and Bing. Here are the main conclusions of its study, conducted exclusively on desktop computers.

The F-pattern and the golden triangle are disappearing

Eyetracking studies highlighted the concept of reading in an “F” (the “F-pattern,” see figure below) so dear to Jakob Nielsen. Concretely, when a user scanned a web page, the path of the eye traced an “F.”

This is also known as the “golden triangle,” first identified back in 2005 and confirmed since by other studies. It forms a triangle at the top of the page where the results deemed most relevant are located. A site appearing beyond the first four results therefore had less chance of getting a click.

Google users explore the entire page

This new eyetracking study confirms, following a 2014 study, that users no longer read Google/Bing pages in an F.

With the arrival of rich results and the placement of ads, users explore the entire page to find what they are looking for. As has been seen with Google, many users look at rich data before even considering traditional search results.

So, according to the Conversion XL study, while the first organic position still receives the largest number of clicks among all organic search results (20.69% of total clicks on Google), the “rich results” (Knowledge Graph, carousel, rich snippets, Google Local, Google Shopping) receive 39.655% of clicks, which is by far the largest proportion of clicks on the entire page.

Users have gotten used to ads on Google

Another conclusion of the study: Google users, more accustomed to using this search engine than Bing’s, more easily distinguish the ads on the page than Bing users do. They do not hesitate to scroll down quickly to examine the results placed below the fold.

Bing users, for their part, spend most of their time considering the first five search results and also take longer to distinguish organic results from ads.

Google was right to remove the ads on the right of its first results page

The Conversion XL study also confirms that ads placed to the right of the results receive little attention, probably due to poor positioning.

Conclusion: monopolize the results on Google’s first page to manage your online reputation

These results (especially Google’s) confirm that all the results on the first page are taken into account by users, and not just the first three.

Used to ads, Google users skim the page more quickly. What’s more, they frequently avoid the first organic results, which are often produced by the companies themselves or by the individuals concerned by the search. Google users prefer to scroll down to reach more “independent” sources, in order to form an informed opinion about a company, a brand, or an individual.

In a truly effective online reputation strategy, you will therefore need to monopolize the results on Google’s first page and occupy as much ground as possible for your company, your brand, or your personal brand. This is what is known as the concept of “SEO real estate.”