Consumers are spending more time researching purchases online before buying. A Google survey found that 53% of consumers use search engines more for research and 54% spend more time researching products online. Search engines are also the top information source for consumers. Marketers should consider how search can reach informed consumers throughout the buying cycle, ensure helpful product information online, and highlight deals and promotions.

1. The Informed Consumer
Consumers Research (and Search) More
Please do not re-purpose for sales, outside of your company
Google Confidential and Proprietary 1

2. Careful Consumers
U.S. consumers are still spending, but
more cautiously. What does this mean for
the marketer?
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3. Consider Them Informed Consumers
Google’s new consumer survey shows that
people are spending much more time
researching before purchasing.
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4. More Research Means More Time Online
We asked U.S.
consumers how their 53% use search engines more to research
shopping habits have purchases
changed since the
downturn in the
economy.
54% spend more time researching products
online before they buy them in a store
39% buy more products online (rather than in-
store)
Google Confidential and Proprietary 4
Source: Google Touchpoints Consumer Survey January 2009. Base: 8,675 U.S. respondents

5. Search is the #1 Consumer Information Source
We asked U.S. consumers about their main sources of information on
products and services since the economic downturn.
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%
Search engine results/ads 29%
Websites 22%
Recommendations 11%
Physical stores 8%
TV ads 6%
Newspaper ads 4%
TV shows 3%
Internet ads 2%
Newspaper articles 2%
Email newsletters 2%
Sales people 2%
Product/service experts 2%
Radio shows 1%
Radio ads 1%
Magazine articles 1%
Magazine ads 1%
Direct mail/Catalogs 1%
Outdoor ads 0%
Telemarketing 0%
Print phone books 0% Online sources total: 53%
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Source: Google Touchpoints Consumer Survey January 2009. Base: 8,675 US respondents.

6. Search is the #1 Traffic Source to Retailers
Sources of Traffic to Hitwise Retail 500, December
Search Engines
Retail 500
Email Services
Entertainment 2008
Business and Finance 2007
Rewards and Directories
Social Networking and Forums
Lifestyle
Portal Frontpages
News and Media
0.0% 5.0% 10.0% 15.0% 20.0% 25.0% 30.0% 35.0%
Google Confidential and Proprietary 6
Source: Hitwise, provided to Google 02/25/2009. Retail 500 is Hiitwise’s index of 500 leading retailers.

7. Shoppers Referred by Google Increasing
Share of Google Referred Traffic to Retail 500
25.0%
Share of Upstream Traffic
20.0% +18%
+23%
+13%
from Google
15.0% +12%
2006
2007
10.0% 2008
5.0%
0.0%
Nov Dec
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Source: Hitwise, provided to Google 02/25/2009.

8. People Say They’re Searching for Savings
We asked U.S.
consumers how their
shopping habits have
changed since the
downturn in the 53% spend more time online searching for the
economy.
latest promotions and discounts
46% spend more time searching for coupons
on the Internet
Google Confidential and Proprietary 8
Source: Google Touchpoints Consumer Survey January 2009. Base: 8,675 U.S. respondents

9. And Google Query Volume Reflects This
U.S. searches for “coupons” on Google.com since 2004
U.S. searches for “deals” on Google.com since 2004
Source: Google Insights for Search. Query numbers are normalized and presented on a scale of 0-100 relative to Google Google Confidential and Proprietary 9
queries over time.

10. Quick Tips to Reach the Informed Consumer
Consumers are Consumers are
Search is #1
researching online looking for
information source
more coupons and deals
Consider search
Make sure product Add special offers to
engine presence
info is accessible on website and
throughout buying
your site purchase pages
cycle
Consider display ad For paid search,
Add “coupon”
buys on content ensure landing
keywords to paid
sites used for pages have enough
search buys
research info
Consider paid
Add savings and
search on Adjust budget
offer messaging to
“consideration” allocation
search ads
keywords
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11. Thank You!
Q&A
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12. Appendix
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13. Google’s “Touchpoints” Consumer Study
• A large-scale survey of U.S. consumers who made a
purchase in one of 26 product/service categories during
the last six months
• Goal was to explore the role of the Internet and other
channels in consumer behavior and research
• Survey conducted December 2008-January 2009
• Base of 8,675 respondents, representative of U.S.
consumers, for results included in this presentation
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