Search Engine Marketing

The Goldfish Takes the Lead

You have probably heard that a goldfish has a remarkably short attention span, and this is not an understatement. Studies report that the average attention span of the goldfish is nine seconds, which is about the same amount of time that it takes to swim a lap in a fishbowl. What you may not have heard, however, is that the attention span of the average human has plummeted over the last few years. A recent study performed by Microsoft showed that the average attention span of humans has dropped from twelve seconds in 2002 to only eight seconds in 2016. Because this shortening of attention span coincided with the time frame that the internet picked up speed and popularity, most people blame this tragic fate on social media and the instant gratification provided to us by the search engine.

Search Engine Marketing for the Distracted

Search engine marketing experts make it their priority to help get information out to even the most distracted of internet users. These specialists discern the patterns of internet consumers as they sift through various websites and pieces of information on the internet. The primary goal of search engine marketing is teaching companies and bloggers how to go beyond grabbing someone’s attention and actually keep it for long enough for the consumer to catch the message.

Mobile Usage and Other Factors

Companies such as SERCH Marketing know a lot about internet usage and attention span. SERCH Marketing tells us that 75% of users never scroll passed the first page of a website, and at least 60% of internet usage occurs on a mobile device. Accordingly, even the most informative of websites is not likely to thrive if it is not mobile friendly or aesthetically pleasing.

Hope for the Internet

While our short attention spans may have been somewhat brought on by increased internet usage, a short attention span is not necessarily as tragic as people make it out to be. In fact, if a short attention span also coincides with an increased ability to multitask and a greater capacity to absorb multiple pieces of information at one time, this whole internet thing is an advantage.

Clearly, the internet is not going anywhere anytime soon. (Cue the sigh of relief!) As internet users, we must be thoughtful and intelligent consumers. And as companies and website builders, we must learn to work with short attention spans instead of feeling hopeless. Search engine marketing is an excellent tool to make your website attention grabbing and to keep people engaged – maybe even for longer than eight seconds! To learn more or find out how search engine marketing can specifically benefit your business, contact SERCH Marketing today.