A report from AYTM Market Research suggests that 94 percent of consumers use Google to research new products and services they plan to buy.

AYTM Market Research recently reported that more than 94 percent of consumers begin researching potential purchases on Google. While not every shopper starts with Google, just 5.8 percent said they never use the search engine to gather more information about the products and services they plan to purchase.

Looking at those who use Google, more than 21 percent said they always turn to the site first, and 40.8 percent said the site is usually their first stop. Nearly 18 percent reported that they use Google “about half the time,” and 14 percent said they “rarely” use it. These users want to find information about the things they may invest in, and focusing solely on paid search campaigns may not have desired effects for some businesses.

AYTM found that 20.8 percent of consumers said they never click on ads in search, and 39.8 percent reported that they rarely do so. Using website content that follows best practices for SEO can help marketers stand out in search ranking, and gradually improve their site’s appeal to search crawlers. Thinking about the reasons a user is researching a product or service and creating articles, blog posts and even infographics that touch on these issues can help increase traffic.

Moreover, focusing on the user with content is the cornerstone of a successful strategy, as Google’s algorithms evolve to focus more heavily on sites that work best for consumers. Brafton recently highlighted a report from Econsultancy that found 87 percent of businesses are investing in quality content marketing campaigns, as they said algorithmic changes have impacted the way they use content.

Joe Meloni is Brafton's former Executive News and Content Writer. He studied journalism at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has written for a number of print and web-based publications.