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Search continues to be top information source for B2B Decision-Makers

By Nick Price

New tools and research habits have led to a more intelligent, influential and powerful user– all of which have influenced how marketers communicate their message.

  • Business professionals are purposeful about their search
  • Peer Influence outweighs any force fed anecdote
  • Online Research Habits have changed: search, blogs, social media, niche content sites

Bottom line: Companies have increased their presence online over the past several years to cater to a growing number of decision-makers turning to the internet for information. Marketers are looking for measurable results and ROI.

So it is not surprising that Search outranks other sources B2B executives use to find information, according to a report from Marin Software. Data from

the study points to increased competition in the B2B paid search space as a result, evidenced by the fact the average cost per click in the B2B space increased 29% from Q4 2010 to Q4 2011.

Online Sources Used to Find Information According to US B2B Executives, June 2011 (% of respondents)

Google and Compete also polled more than 1,600 B2B executives in the US and tracked the online activity of Compete’s panel of US web users to and from a select set of B2B websites. In addition to a high preference for search engine use among B2B influencers, the study also showed an increased reliance on more visual information sources. Data collected from Feb 2010 to March 2011 showed B2B-branded searches on YouTube more than doubled in number during that time. And as more brands use video content assets to share product-specific information, provide demos and offer testimonials, these numbers should continue to grow.

Since June of last year, Madison Logic has been launching site search across all its 300+ publishers as another media outlet for marketers to target their best buyers. When a user is researching for products/services, relevant white papers, case studies, and events will appear in the search results. On average, we are seeing upwards of 5-7% CTR.

Nick Price

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