Digital Hive

Insights from search data - finally some progress

Thanks to Read Write Web for this great post about Google's new flu tracker. Google.org has the details.

As you've probably heard by now, the basic idea is to look at Google search data as a leading indicator of key developments in public health. Searches about flu indicate increasing flu activity. Pretty simple stuff.

"So why bother with estimates from aggregated search queries? It turns out that traditional flu surveillance systems take 1-2 weeks to collect and release surveillance data, but Google search queries can be automatically counted very quickly. By making our flu estimates available each day, Google Flu Trends may provide an early-warning system for outbreaks of influenza."

I have no intention of entrusting my information to Google health, but I think this is pretty cool stuff that doesn't quite yet cross the line into violating user privacy (but could pretty easily).

In the meantime, flu activity in Massachusetts is currently low. Whew.

Search impacts brand? Whoda thunk

Snaps to my favorite yummy mummy (and connection planner extraordinaire) Laura Rollins for flagging a great new Yahoo/MediaVest study about how search impacts brand metrics - even if you don't click:

A study of more than 6,000 consumers by ComScore found that brands generated an average 160% increase in unaided awareness by being present in standard sponsored-text search results compared with when consumers weren't exposed to their search ads.

It also found that consumers were 20% more likely to have positive perceptions of brands in the top paid-search position than those in second or third positions and 30% more likely to consider purchasing a product when the brand was at the top of paid-search results.

This second piece of info is particularly provocative for me - reminds me of something I learned in general years ago, that there's something inherently alluring about being #1, thus figure out how to frame yourself as a number one brand.

For more, check out this AdAge article.