A new study has added tangible evidence to the widely held view that top-ranking search results get the most attention from users, and that lower-ranking results are all but invisible to most people. The study found that most viewers looked at results in an “F” shaped scan pattern, with the eye travelling vertically along the far left side of the results looking for visual cues (relevant words, brands, etc) and then scanning to the right, as if something caught the participant’s attention. People continue to favor organic listings over paid search listings, unless the paid search listing is at the top of the page.

These results are preliminary; a full analysis of the results will be available soon.

Organic Search Results Viewed:
Rank 1 – 100%
Rank 2 – 100%
Rank 3 – 100%
Rank 4 – 85%
Rank 5 – 60%
Rank 6 – 50%
Rank 7 – 50%
Rank 8 – 30%
Rank 9 – 30%
Rank 10 – 20%

Sponsored Listings Viewed (right side):
Ads at the top of the page were viewed by 100% of study participants.
Sponsored listing 1 – 50%
Sponsored listing 2 – 40%
Sponsored listing 3 – 30%
Sponsored listing 4 – 20%
Sponsored listing 5 – 10%
Sponsored listing 6 – 10%
Sponsored listing 7 – 10%
Sponsored listing 8 – 10%

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