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For the fifth time in a row, Search Engine Media Agency Checkit conducted a study to ascertain the findability of the 100 organizations with the largest online media spend.
The study shows that the Financial and Telecom sector have the best online findability.
But what about the findability for the rest of the branches?

Previous studies focused particularly on the technical aspects that determine the findability of a website.
The study of 2010 is based on an entirely new research method.
This new method enables Checkit to study the overall performance of a website in the search engines, rather than just the technical aspects.
A few years ago the findability of a website mainly depended on technical factors, Nowadays, search engines use a more complex method which makes it more difficult to gain good positions in the search results of a search engine.
The findability of websites in this study is based on the websites of the 100 organizations with the largest online media spend.

This study shows the reach in search engines per branch.
Moreover the study shows the reach per company within its own branch.
The companies were tested on the findability on the most important keywords in their branch (based on the highest search volume within the particular branch).
A company with a findability score of 20% is visible in one of five searches in its branch.
Like the 2009 edition, the gross online media spend is the basis of this study.

An English press-release is available: Checkit Top 100 Online Findability 2010: ‘Telecom and Financial branch have the largest reach in search engines’

Dit artikel is ook beschikbaar in het Nederlands: Top 100 Online Vindbaarheid 2010

This article presents the research results as practical advice which is beneficial for the online findability of websites.
The following parts will be discussed:

• Ranking top 100 2010
• Top branches
• Opportunities for improving online market reach
• Conclusion
• Research set-up
• About this study

Ranking Top 100 2010

The Top 100 Online Findability shows the results of the online reach in percentages per organization.
The Top 100 Online Findability is based on Nielsen’s top 100 organizations with largest online media spend, of which the ranking can be found in the table below (€).

* In this list percentages are rounded. Scores were measured in 2 decimals.
** Fortis merged with ABN AMRO.
*** Budgets were divided between Peugeot and Citroen , which are ranked separately.
**** No clear sales model.
***** Sexual Content.
****** DSB was declared bankrupt

Top branches

The results show that some branches are structurally improving the findability of the website.
On average, companies in the telecom branch have the largest reach.
Despite the competitive market of internet and telephone packages, the companies have very high scores, varying from 56% to 41% market reach.
Similar good results can be found in the financial branch which has an average score of 21% market reach.
These results are not unexpected.
Branches that have a growing dependence on the online sales channel will have to continually improve.
The results also show that even in highly competitive branches there are still plenty of possibilities to create a successful online market reach.

Opportunities for improving online market reach

The companies with low scores prove that there is still much improvement possible in online findability.
For example, the energy branch and the fuel branch have an average reach of 6% and 2%.
This means that the websites of the companies are visible for only 6% and 2% of their online target group.
The low scores in the fuel branch offer opportunities for companies to stand out in comparison to competitors in this branch.
To stay ahead of competition companies need to integrate online marketing in their marketing strategy.

The energy branch shows large differences in results.
For instance, Nuon has an online market reach of 13% whereas Oxxio only reaches 1% of the market.
In this branch there are also many opportunities for companies to stand out in comparison to the rest of the branch.

Conclusion

This study shows once more that there is much room for improvement in the online findability of organizations.
Large online budgets are still no guarantee for a good findability in search engines.
Some organizations have a large online reach, but the majority is insufficiently findable on the subjects their targets group is interested in.
It is very important to focus on speaking the language of your target group.

Large budgets are spend on paid methods to generate traffic to the website, whereas generating traffic through organic (unpaid) search offers a broad range of opportunities for most companies.
These opportunities will have to be seized in order to generate more relevant traffic to a website.

Research set-up

Their study focuses on the online performance of the 100 advertisers with the largest online budgets.
Nielsen Media Research Group provided the list of the top hundred online advertisers.
The organizations in the list are tested on their online reach within their branch by using a list of the most relevant branch related keywords.

Checkit has executed a market scan per branch.
The market scan shows what the reach in search engines is on the most relevant keywords in the branch.
The results of the market scans are measured in percentages which makes it possible to compare the different branches.
By using both general keywords as well as detailed, specific keywords you generate relevant visitors to a website.
Both types of keywords were used in the market scan.
The scores on these keywords indicate the reach in search engines.
The market scan is executed by using tools developed by Checkit which collect data of the reach on the different keywords.
All the data combined, results in a ranking per branch and ultimately to the Top 100 Online Findability 2010.

The findability of the websites was tested in Google.
Google has a market share of 94% in the Netherlands.
It is the best known and most used search engine in the Netherlands.
This study is an indication of the situation of the websites in September 2010.

Explanation Nielsen top 100 online media spend
When registering the media spend the gross tariffs are the starting point (in other words, the tariffs as mentioned on the price list).
Discounts or closed barter deals are not taken into consideration.
The actual media spend (= net media spend) can therefore be lower.
The gross media spend represents the media activity.

The Top 100 online advertisers is based on the registration of the gross media spend for internet.
This registration is conducted by Nielsen in cooperation with operators which deliver the gross media spend to Nielsen.
When composing this Top 100 online advertisers twenty operators supplied data.

The gross media spend in the other media types are based on the registration of more than 1.000 media in:
television, radio, magazines (national, regional, free), news magazines, periodicals, professional journals, sponsored magazines, internet, out of home, leaflets, cinema (source: Nielsen).

About this study

This study was conducted by Judith Nissen (Marketing communications advisor Checkit) and Koen van den Eeden (Search Consultant Checkit).

Articles about the Top 100 Findability 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 appeared in the Dutch magazine: Tijdschrift voor Marketing.

Use of text and images
The results of the Top 100 online findability are available on:

• Top 100 Online Findability 2006
• Top 100 Online Findability 2007
• Top 100 Online Findability 2008
• Top 100 Online Findability 2009
• Top 100 Online Findability 2010

Text and images can be used only under the condition of mentioning: Checkit www.checkit.nl.

Questions
For more information about the contents of this document or Checkit and the services we offer please contact Judith Nissen (T: 0031 (0)24-359 37 70 or judith@checkit.nl).

An English press-release is available: Checkit Top 100 Online Findability 2010: ‘Telecom and Financial branch have the largest reach in search engines’

Dit artikel is ook beschikbaar in het Nederlands: Top 100 Online Vindbaarheid 2010

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