It might be assumed that not many people conduct online searches in more than one language. However, results from a global survey undertaken by independent digital marketing agency Greenlight suggest quite the opposite, that a significant 76% do. Occupations one might most readily associate with the Internet – IT and Marketing – topped the list of those who are most likely to search in more than one language.
Greenlight’s global “Search & Social Survey (2011-2012)” asked 500 people – from students, law enforcement professionals, medical staff, accountants, lawyers to the unemployed, how they engage with online advertising, search engines, and social networks, in order to glean insight into how consumers engage with marketers today, and to formulate views on what the future might hold.
Some of the countries topping Greenlight’s chart are not entirely surprising – Belgium, for example, has three official languages. However, others, namely Italy and Spain, are not so obvious.“The fact that Italy and Spain top the chart with 100% of respondents claiming to search in multiple languages, despite reasonably homogenised language use, is possibly a testament to the position of English as the quasi-official language of Europe and the relative prevalence of English language web pages,” says Adam Bunn, director of search engine optimisation (SEO) at Greenlight.
Bunn points to data compiled by Greenlight in 2010. It showed the UK produced the most web pages per head in Europe at 17 pages per person, compared to 10 per person in Spain and just 6 per person in Italy. “Presumably as well as there being more English spam on the web, this also means there is more high quality English content to be searched for by Europeans as well,” says Bunn.
About Greenlight :
Greenlight is an independent digital marketing agency, providing Search and Social Media services. With over 100 blue-chip clients including Santander, New Look, Sky and ghd, Greenlight is a leader in the digital marketing space, recognized worldwide for its commitment to delivering record ROI for its clients. It publishes widely read industry reports, original research, speakers at trade events and delivers a highly respected digital marketing training programme via the Greenlight Academy. Founded in 2001, Greenlight is headquartered in London, with offices in New York. http://www.greenlightdigital.com
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