Search Drove $6.6 Billion in Online Travel Spending in 8 Week Period
I'm having one of those flu medication/caffeine-fueled holy crap moments. Because, well, holy crap:
"In April, 35 million U.S. consumers used a search engine to initiate travel planning, and those who bought travel online ultimately spent an estimated $6.6 billion in the category during the eight week analysis period."

and:
"Among the 35 million consumers searching for travel in April 2005, nearly one-third purchased a travel-related service either online or offline within the eight weeks following the initial search. Among these buyers, 80 percent completed travel purchases online. The discovery that 20 percent of these buyers ultimately completed a travel purchase offline underscores the influence of online research across all buying channels."

and:
"20 percent of all travel transactions linked to search engine activity occurred directly following the initial search referral, while the remaining 80 percent took place in the days and weeks following the initial search session."

Great study. And a great example of how creating content that's useful to your industry builds links, drives industry perception, builds brands, thought leadership.
Garrett French - MarketSmart Interactive | permalink | +marktd |