Archive for the ‘Market Research Blog’ Category

Chicago Bears & Chicago Tribune Top Chicago Search Statistics

Friday, December 1st, 2006

Many people travel to Chicago or consider the windy city home, but what are people looking for online in relation to the Midwestern city? Tourist attractions, local services, general information, special events, or perhaps something else?

Recent research by Epiar Inc. explored the nature of online search in relation to Chicago. After analyzing the top 7000 phrases with an estimated annual search volume of over 50 million searches, the following topics emerged as the most prominent Chicago search topics:

Please click here for an expanded report on Chicago online search statistics.

Exploring Chicago Searches

Professional sports fans will be interested to see the high number of searches for Chicago’s football, baseball, and basketball teams. Apparently, the Bears’ very successful season is not limited to only the football field. It is amazing how searches for sports teams compare in number with searches for other Chicago features and indentifying characteristics – who knew professional sports were really that popular?

Tourist institutions and special events also appeared prominently within internet search, with the Chicago Marathon, the Chicago Auto Show, and the Art Institute of Chicago all attracting significant levels of public attention. Which local attractions do you think people might be searching for around your home town?

Searches by people in need of local services were also high, with phrases like “jobs in Chicago”, “home inspection Chicago”, and “Chicago police” in high search demand. Presumably, many more searches for local services are also being entered without the word “Chicago” in the phrase, possibly including a neighborhood geographic reference instead or no geographic mention at all.

With all of this talk about Chicago, it makes me want to go there to see if the search frequency research properly reflects the real city – good thing a couple of us from Epiar will be in town to present at a Search Engine Strategies conference there later this week!

Epiar Inc. is an Edmonton-based internet market research and search engine optimization company. Please contact us for more information or to commission your own research reports.

Posted in Arts & Culture, Geographical Studies, Market Research Blog, Social Trends & Issues, Sports | No Comments »

Automotive Market Research: Toyota According to Internet Search

Saturday, November 25th, 2006

Toyota is one of those companies that always seems to be producing good news: from sleek new models to growing market share to increased fuel efficiency to the stories you keep hearing from satisfied vehicle owners. Given this generally positive aura surrounding the brand, how does Toyota fare in the public eye as measured by the way people search for the Japanese auto-maker online? What topics, models, problems, or buying opportunities are people most commonly entering into search engines in conjunction with Toyota?

Recent research by Epiar Inc. took a look into these questions, exploring the top several thousand phrases entered into search engines which include the word “Toyota.” Curious to see which ideas and associations jumped to the top of the list, the following topics were uncovered as the most popular:

Please click here for an expanded report on the top Toyota search phrases.

Taking a Closer Look

Of interest to the Toyota executives and bean-counters, the sporty Supra was among the most popularly searched individual models, followed closely by the Tacoma, Camry, Corolla, Prius, Celica, and Tundra. The truck department at Toyota should be proud of their rise in brand power as compared to the ever-popular Toyota sport utility vehicles, sedans, and compact cars.

One interesting feature of the Toyota search phrases surrounded the manner in which people searched for Toyotas by model year. Searches for 2007, 2006, and 2005 vehicles were predictably the highest, followed by a surprisingly even number of searches for models dating from 2004 through the 1980s and beyond. Clearly, people are still concerned about buying or repairing their older Toyotas!

In relation to older models, searches for repairs, parts, service, and other phrases implying car-trouble also appeared within popular search. It would be interesting to compare the top several thousand repair-related search phrases of Toyota with those of Ford, Honda, GM, and others. Are Toyota’s repair phrases proportionally higher or lower than those of their competitors? Which parts & problems show up the most prominently in each manufacturer’s search phrases? How is Toyota’s reputation of mechanical reliability reflected in the volume of search requests for car service and repair manuals versus the other major auto brands? All interesting questions to save for another day…

Speaking of reliability – with this cold Edmonton winter weekend and somewhere to be tonight, I sure am glad my trusty Corolla is working just fine!

Epiar Inc. is an Edmonton-based internet market research and search engine optimization company. Please contact us for more information or to commission your own research reports.

Posted in Automotive, Brand Equity, Business Market Research, Market Research Blog, Market Segmentation | No Comments »

Luxury Bedding & Luxury Real Estate Searches Top Lists

Sunday, November 19th, 2006

Luxury spending by people seeking the absolute finest is nothing new, but this type of shopping only happens in small, exclusive, foreign boutiques, right? Or do people search for luxury items online too? If so, in what volume, and what products or services are they actually seeking?

Recent research by Epiar Inc. took a look into these questions, analyzing the top 5900 phrases relating to the word “luxury” as entered into search engines. Out of these 5900 phrases, the following topics rose to the top of public demand:

Luxury Market Research Chart

Please click here for a complete listing of luxury phrases.

Luxury Hotels, Condos, Travel & More

High numbers of geographic references appeared throughout luxury-related searches (relative to search behaviour in other fields of inquiry.) In the top 2700 searches which included a Canadian or American geographic reference, searches for homes, villas, condos, and other real estate were balanced by searches for travel aids such as hotels, cars, and rentals.

In fact, luxury cars were one of the highest-searched items found in this study. Some searches seemed to be for purchasing a car, while others (such as “luxury car hire uk”) were in search of rental cars that include a chauffeur!

On a separate topic, a prominent theme emerged surrounding bedding, suggesting that people will spare no expense to ensure a good night’s sleep. Also included in this group of searches were several requests for luxury dog or cat beds – sounds like a good deal for some lucky Fido or Boots!

Epiar Inc. is an Edmonton-based internet market research and search engine optimization company. Please contact us for more information or to commission your own research reports.

Posted in Business Market Research, Market Research Blog, Market Segmentation | No Comments »

Organic Gardening, Organic Baby Products & More

Saturday, November 11th, 2006

With a growing public awareness of the connection between toxic chemicals in our immediate surroundings and our overall quality of life, it is no surprise that increasing numbers of people are choosing organic products as one way of cleaning up their lives and personal health. Despite increased prices and imperfections in the commercial organic certification system, there is little doubt that demand for organic products is hot and on the rise.

Recent research by Epiar explored the nature of online search surrounding organic products of all sorts, detailing the top-searched 5800 phrases that include the word “organic”. Surprising trends emerged which show substantial public interest in a wide variety of products and information extending well beyond mere organic fruits and vegetables!

Of interest to green business ventures, the following topics appeared the most frequently along with “organic” in popular search:

Organic Market Research Chart

Please click here for a complete listing of the top 5800 organic search phrases.

Organic Baby Products – Organic Clothing, Cribs, Food, Bedding, etc.

Surprising numbers of searches were discovered which focus on organic products for children and babies. Presumably, these phrases were entered by parents who want “the best” for their children, in search of organic products to reduce their child’s exposure to toxins through “inorganic” substances. This trend extended well beyond food products, including the following precise search phrases:

Organic baby products (searched 131 times per day)
Organic cotton baby clothes (114)
Organic baby food (110)
Organic baby bedding (82)
Organic baby apparel (80)
Organic baby toys (56)
Organic baby gift basket (56)
Organic cotton baby layette (38)
Infant organic formula (23)
Toddler organic t shirt (16)
Organic baby crib mattresses (14)
Organic baby futons (12)
Organic baby skin care (10)

Click here for a complete report on organic baby and child product searches – an exciting potential business opportunity for some smart organic webmaster!

Speaking of organic products, it must be nearly time for dinner…

Epiar Inc. is an Edmonton-based internet market research and search engine optimization company. Please contact us for more information or to commission your own research reports.

Posted in Business Market Research, Market Research Blog, Market Segmentation | No Comments »

Download Demand High for Music, Games, Software & More

Sunday, November 5th, 2006

Millions of people are looking for downloadable material, but what type and for what use? Are people searching for music, games, software, images, articles, or other downloads? Recent research by Epiar looked into these questions, providing potentially useful information for webmasters wanting to add resources to their sites that the public is proven to seek in high numbers.

Within the top 14,000 download-related phrases entered into search engines, the following topics appeared the most frequently:

Please click here for a complete listing of the top 14,000 download phrases.

Taking a Closer Look

Without surprise, searches for downloadable music were prominent. Within these searches, music, songs, and mp3s were among the most popularly searched items. Likewise, high search volume was also present for movies and ringtones.

Searches for Hindi music and movies were surprisingly high – another example of how search frequency research often highlights unexpected facts and trends!

Search activity surrounding computer software was also high (for Microsoft products in particular), as were searches for games. In what ways might software developers or open source advocates capitalize on knowing what people are searching for?

As for the question of how to best monetize downloading activity, there is little doubt that most searchers do not want to pay directly for their downloads. In fact, free was one of the most prominent themes found within this entire study, appearing in approximately 45% of the search phrases. With an estimated 145,000,000 annual searches for all of the phrases included in this study, that’s a lot of opportunities for enterprising and creative webmasters to capitalize on!

Epiar Inc. is an Edmonton-based internet market research and search engine optimization company. Please contact us for more information or to commission your own research reports.

Posted in Internet, Market Research Blog, Social Trends & Issues | No Comments »

Wholesale Product Demand: Using Search in Strategic Product Decisions

Sunday, October 29th, 2006

Retailers and entrepreneurs have all had to wrestle with the following questions at some point in time: Assuming I want to sell something, what line of products should I carry? What type of widgets is the market asking for? What unmet opportunities may exist within this market? Once I’ve decided on a general type of widgets to carry, which product features & widget sub-sets are the most likely to sell and should I be sure to have in stock at all times?

Taking a small bite out of this ongoing question, recent research by Epiar explored the nature of online demand for wholesale products. For someone with a half-empty warehouse, an active ecommerce site, and uncertainty over how to grow their operation, the following type of market research could provide some very interesting guidance!

When looking through the top 5900 search phrases that include the word “wholesale”, the following words rose to the top of the list:

Wholesale Market Research Graph

Please click here for a complete “wholesale” internet market research report.

Candles and Jewelry: Getting Specific on Product Demand

Taking a closer look at two of the top products requested in “wholesale” internet searches, excellent detailed information for business owners appears. Wholesale candle outlets, for instance, would be well advised to carry scented soy and beeswax candles, information on aromatherapy, and candle making supplies. Moving these products or web content to the front of the web site or simply including them for the first time could create very positive quarterly reports!

Likewise, someone operating a wholesale jewelry business would want to include magnetic jewelry, body jewelry, jewelry for costumes, and products made of sterling silver in prominent places on their web site. That is, assuming they want to carry items the public is looking for…

Allowing search demand to inform which products or accessories to carry has proven to be extremely profitable for several Epiar clients, including businesses which carry hundreds or thousands of products. Simply connecting the dots of supply and demand (which is mapped and calculated using hundreds of thousands of pieces of information) has helped clients realize exponential increases in sales and customer satisfaction. Imagine what impact comprehensive internet market research could have on your line of products (and your bottom line!)

Epiar Inc. is an Edmonton-based internet market research and search engine optimization company. Please contact us for more information or to commission your own research reports.

Posted in Business Market Research, Market Research Blog, Market Segmentation | No Comments »

Definitions: Words Most Commonly Used Yet Least Often Understood

Sunday, October 22nd, 2006

Presumably, everyone reading this post can understand the English language; at least, for the most part. While most of the words used in common situations are understood by the majority of people, several words and topics also exist that leave people secretly thinking, “What on Earth does _____ mean?” In fact, many conversations include technical terminology, references to pop culture, academic jargon, partially understood terms, or other lexicographically disestablishmentarianistic words not known to everyone around the circle. But how do people look up the meanings of these words later on, and which definitions are sought the most often online?

Recent research by Epiar explored these topics, seeking to answer the following salient questions: For which words do people most commonly turn to the internet for definitions? What trends emerge when examining this group of words? What insight can be gained by knowing which words people most commonly search?

Of the top 9000 phrases entered into search engines which include the word “define” or “definition”, the following words appeared the most frequently:

Please click here for a complete list of the top 9000 definitions people searched for as measured in this study.

Adding Definition to the Definitions

Overall, the top 10 relevant phrases which searched for a definition were:

first name definitions (searched an estimated 772 times per day)
word definitions (518)
definition of technology (496)
definition of software (482)
medical definitions (454)
definition of culture (426)
blog definition (416)
definition of science (410)
legal definitions (408)
definition of communication (404)

Computer technology searches were quite prominent throughout the study, including:

domain name server definition (334)
definition of html (286; an appropriate number, wouldn’t you say?)
definition of operating system (232)
definition of cache (230)
definition of application software (208)
definition of windows xp (186)

Similarly, searches relating to business and money represented a large portion of searcher curiousity:

define money market account (268)
definition of public relations (226)
definition of management (220)
definition of marketing (220)
financial definitions (184)
definition of investment (164)

Searches relating to physical health were also high:

definition of physical education (236)
definition of sport (220)
define aerobic activity (198)
definition of obesity (166)
definition of physical fitness (160)
definition of holistic (142)

Fun searches also emerged, such as:

definition of recreation (362)
definition of love (262)
definition of play (258)
a definition of entertainment (248)
definition of leisure (232)
definition of art (214)

Surprisingly, searches for obscure academic terminology were relatively low. Clearly, the existence of big words with complex meanings doesn’t mean that mass culture wants to know about them! Still, I was excited to see 84 searches a day for “definition of rhetoric” – 84 curious minds a day intimating hope for contemporary culture’s acute adult trivium and quadrivium deficiency!

Connecting the Dots – From 1’s and 0’s to a More Clearly Defined Meaning:

New lists of digitally gathered words and topics like these seem to spark the question: What does all this information mean? From the standpoint of cultural anthropology, how does the availability of information that details zones of linguistic uncertainty and human curiousity impact a thorough analysis of contemporary culture? In what ways can this information all be applied? Perhaps most importantly: who, aside from a handful of leading-edge businesses, is actually currently taking advantage of this new social data, and to what end?

In the age of the “Shift-F7” thesaurus, the decentralization of informational authority and pop culture, the rise of the 30-second attention span, globalization’s linguistic Darwinism, and the accelerated proliferation of new gadgetry, how will the English speaking world maintain its hold on understanding its own language over time? Are hermeneutic homogeneity and lists of common words that multitudes misunderstand set to expand or diminish into the future? What impact will these changes have on educational systems or other organizations concerned with promoting the public good?

Just one of the many non-technical areas of inquiry being stretched by new information which springs from the digital revolution…

Epiar Inc. is an Edmonton-based internet market research and search engine optimization company. Please contact us for more information or to commission your own research reports.

Posted in Cultural Studies, Market Research Blog, Social Trends & Issues | No Comments »

Bizarre Internet Searches – Do People Really Search That?

Sunday, October 15th, 2006

One of the finest joys of performing advanced keyword research (looking into the hearts and minds of our society by probing millions of unique search phrases) is encountering the stream of absolutely ridiculous phrases that people are, for one reason or another, entering into search engines.

Over the course of the past year, I have begun documenting several of the most absurd of these search phrases. In fact, the coil-bound notebook that sits beside my monitor has become one of the strangest and most curious books I have encountered – strange because of the very human reality behind each new entry.

What does it mean when significant numbers of people all search for the same bizarre topic? What thoughts and situations give rise to someone entering these phrases in the first place? If thinking about the individuals and real-life situations that create these search statistics don’t make you smile or shake your head in wonder, I can’t imagine what will!

Bizarre Phrases that People Actually Type into Search Engines*:
* using Wordtracker data spanning August 2005 – October 2006

Creative Home Projects:

how to build a catapult (searched 230 times per day)
how to eat fried worms (696)
how to make a toga (448)

People Still Learning the Basics:

what is history (205)
open a beer bottle (22)
when did christianity start (61)
what is a search engine (276)

Huh??

box full of sharp objects (185)
insanity test (322)
monkey business (195)

Self-Help Dieticians:

how to gain weight (407)
how to be anorexic (193)
beer into g feeding tube (15)
how to make moonshine (173)

Health:

self injury tricks (27)
can stress cause hives (90)
pictures of scurvy (40)
donate a testicle (193)

Searches by Animal Lovers:

realistic stuffed shih tzus (36)
fainting goat video (28)
exploding whale (156)
bear vs shark (72)
biggest bear ever (54)

People Hoping Search Data Stays Anonymous Forever:

guide to stretch your anus (153)
men in panties (1611)
hairy oshawa women (6)
pull my finger (186)
atomic wedgie (298)

The Search Continues…

loch ness monster (2044)
ghost pictures (1209)
real ghosts (337)
pirate treasure maps (275)
proof that elvis is alive (18)
ufo sightings (705)

Conclusive proof that the truth is stranger than fiction? Who enters all these phrases anyway?

Epiar Inc. is an Edmonton-based internet market research and search engine optimization company. Please contact us for more information or to commission your own research reports.

Posted in Arts & Culture, Just for Fun, Market Research Blog | 1 Comment »

Guitar Tabs & Fender Top Online Guitar Search

Sunday, October 8th, 2006

Everybody wants a new guitar to kickstart their dreams of becoming a rock star – but what kind of guitars are people dreaming of?

Recent research by Epiar explored the demand for rock music’s favourite instrument by sorting frequency with which phrases including the word “guitar” are entered into search engines. Several charts emerged which show the top guitar brands, types, tabs, pointers, and accessories – lists that should make any aspiring Jimi Hendrix, Chet Atkins, Django Reinhardt, or Randy Rhodes salivate!

For a complete listing of the top 6000 search phrases that include the word “guitar”, click here.

Power Brands

Guitar enthusiasts love to dream about the next guitar to add to their collection, apparently turning to online search as a part of the fun. Should it be a mellow solid-body Gibson electric? Or perhaps a 12-string jumbo acoustic for that bluegrass project? How about a vintage Fender Stratocaster, internet search’s most popular model? Or a Hamer bass for subbing in while your bassist is gone on summer vacation?

When looking through the top 52,591,755 estimated annual searches for guitars, the following popular brands and manufacturers emerged at the top of the heap:

So Many Riffs, So Little Time

Without surprise, extensive searches for resource material relating to playing guitar were also found. Not only are people going online to dream about their next guitar purchase, they are also using search engines to find songs, tabs, chords, lessons, and scales. Highlight phrases from the complete guitar resources research report include the following top 10 search phrases:

Guitar tabs (searched 7,538 times per day)
Free guitar tabs (1,337)
Guitar lessons (731)
Free guitar lessons (440)
Free guitar tablature (338)
Christian guitar tabs (318)
Guitar scales (311)
Guitar chord charts (308)
Guitar music (302)
Free guitar music (300)

Take it to the Coda…

All this talk of guitars makes me want to play a few songs and solos right now! Good thing my whammy bar’s in and those amplifier tubes are nearly warmed and ready to go…

Epiar Inc. is an Edmonton-based internet market research and search engine optimization company. Please contact us for more information or to commission your own research reports.

Posted in Brand Equity, Business Market Research, Market Research Blog, Market Segmentation | No Comments »

Breast Cancer Tops Online Health Search

Sunday, October 1st, 2006

Good health is a luxury that many take for granted, a point reinforced when exploring the overwhelming number of phrases entered into search engines surrounding medical problems and conditions.

Recent research by Epiar Inc. uncovered an astounding volume of searches seeking information and resources relating to human health problems. The analysis of this information provides unique and unprecedented insight into our culture’s most prevalent medical concerns, questions, fears, and ailments.

The following chart highlights the top-searched medical problems according to online search:

Click here to view the full listing of all 45,477 phrases considered in this study. Or, for a more focused report, consider these 10,750 relevant phrases.

Taking a Closer Look

Search statistic reports for viruses, diseases, disorders, and syndromes read like shopping lists of the various conditions known by our society, while searches for strokes and seizures center more closely on the personal responses of people faced with these conditions.

Interestingly, less serious medical issues also appear prominently within internet search – issues impossible to fully measure using conventional hospital or clinic-based patient statistics. Problems such as fevers, inflammations, spasms, and infections, which may be treated at home (in minor cases) using rest and a little information from the internet, clearly appear within the public’s mind. I sure am glad I’ve never encountered esophageal spasms before!

Curiously, marked differences appeared in searches for sicknesses and illnesses. I had always thought of these words as referring to the same thing, but search frequency statistics disagree.

Cultural anthropologists studying the topic of taboo in today’s society should find the analysis of people’s search behaviour surrounding excretory organ problems (7,515,350 estimated annual searches) and sexual organ problems (13,434,555) of interest. Searches surrounding these ‘private’ body parts were comparable to or exceeding searches for other portions of the human body, even the heart (8,008,100). For public health education specialists, how does the knowledge that people are turning to the internet for information surrounding ‘private’ health concerns (instead of speaking to friends, relatives, or a medical professional about these embarrassing / taboo issues) affect educational strategies for effectively communicating important information to the people who really need it?

Within the myriad of dis-ease centered searches, hopes for a cure were also present. I hope the searchers find what they are looking for.

Cancer Searches Very High

Not surprisingly, cancer appeared as one of the most prominent topics the public’s mind. Taking a closer look at the public’s search surrounding cancer, people seem to be the most interested in learning more about cancer symptoms and signs (perhaps in self-diagnostic activities?) as well as cancer treatments.

Interestingly, searches for symptoms and signs of any ailments also centered on cancer. Fear of cancer is clearly near the top of the public’s mind when it comes to health.

Oddly, people are also searching for pictures of various ailments, including skin cancer, toungue cancer, and scarlet fever. This information could be valuable to webmasters at public medical information sites.

Applying the Information

Aside from the sociological intrigue of all this health-related data, imagine how much a pharmaceutical company selling pain relievers could benefit from using charts like these, or perhaps a government department figuring out how to improve health care. Hopefully, following my ice hockey season-opener this Monday night, I won’t be searching for lower-body ailment information myself!

If searches like these aren’t enough to rejuvenate your personal cardiovascular programs, detoxification routines, de-stressing relaxation time, and your vegetable intake, perhaps you should revise your medical insurance plan already!

Epiar Inc. is an Edmonton-based internet market research and search engine optimization company. Please contact us for more information or to commission your own research reports.

Posted in Healthcare, Market Research Blog, Social Trends & Issues | No Comments »

Archive for the ‘Market Research Blog’ Category

Automotive Market Research: Toyota According to Internet Search

Luxury Bedding & Luxury Real Estate Searches Top Lists

Organic Gardening, Organic Baby Products & More

Wholesale Product Demand: Using Search in Strategic Product Decisions

Bizarre Internet Searches – Do People Really Search That?

Guitar Tabs & Fender Top Online Guitar Search

// Research Topics //

// Learning Center //

// Archives //

Blogroll

// Meta //

// About Epiar //

// Reports Library //