A new study peered into the search habits of over 1,000 people, analyzing 12,000 search sessions on Google. The findings shed light on how users navigate the search engine and what kind of results capture their attention.

The study revealed a preference for convenience: a whopping 89% of searchers found what they needed on the first page of results, rarely venturing further down (11%). Organic listings emerged as the clear winner, garnering clicks from 58% of users. Paid ads, though present on some search pages, only managed to attract 8% of clicks. Interestingly, a significant portion (34%) of searches concluded without a single click.

The inclusion of videos near the top of the search results proved highly effective, enticing a click from a staggering 61% of users. Local searches displayed a similar trend, with Google Maps results claiming 52% of clicks for queries with a local focus.

For those whose initial search terms didn't yield the desired outcome, the study found that 7% of users opted to refine their search by modifying their keywords. Additionally, Google's autocomplete suggestions proved helpful in 19% of searches.

Product searches presented another interesting finding. A significant portion of users (14%) gravitated towards Google Shopping results. Notably, Google Shopping results enjoyed a 3.3 times higher click-through rate compared to regular Amazon listings.

The study also delved into user behavior after clicking on a search result. It revealed that 35% of users who clicked on a link eventually backtracked and returned to the search results page. Finally, the average search session clocked in at 59 seconds, with a noteworthy 54% of users who clicked on a result only clicking on a single listing.