Amazon wins biggest share of Google results in Apparel, Beauty, Sporting Goods and Health eCommerce


Report suggests retailers can win search traffic from Amazon by giving shoppers more “informational” content

Berlin / San Mateo, November 23, 2021 – Amazon.com (9.7%), nordstrom.com (8.0%) and adoreme.com (5.0%) are first, second and third for the share of organic search results on Google’s first page when U.S. shoppers search for Apparel. In the Beauty sector, amazon.com (17.3%) is ahead of ulta.com (6.9%) and sephora.com (5.1%), while in Furniture the top three are wayfair.com (15.3%) amazon.com (11.3%) and homedepot.com (10.7%).

Lillian Haase, CMO at Searchmetrics

Lillian Haase, CMO at Searchmetrics

Out of the seven eCommerce verticals analyzed by Searchmetrics in its latest report, amazon.com is revealed to have the highest market share of page one search results in four categories (Apparel, Beauty, Health and Sporting Goods). In the three other sectors (DIY, Furniture, Electronics) amazon.com comes second.

Search activity in all eCommerce verticals remains higher than before the pandemic
The acceleration of eCommerce during the pandemic has seen all seven verticals continuing to experience higher average search volumes during 2021 when compared with pre-COVID-2019 figures, according to the analysis. The sector with the biggest uplift in search activity is Furniture in which the volume of monthly searches per keyword averages 193% higher than in 2019. Next is the DIY sector, with monthly searches per keyword 190% higher on average. For Apparel, the average is 84% higher, and for Beauty it is 83% higher.

Amazon is also among the biggest spenders of Google Shopping ads in some eCommerce verticals. In the Apparel vertical, the top three biggest spenders of Google Shopping ads are amazon.com, walmart.com and etsy.com, respectively. In Beauty they are amazon.com, walmart.com and ulta.com. However, in furniture they are wayfair.com, overstock.com and walmart.com — with amazon.com not making the top three.

Retail brands can beat Amazon by targeting informational searches
The analysis indicates that around one in two eCommerce searches are for informational queries — those queries in which people are searching with the intent to gather information or learn more about goods and services, rather than with an intent to make an immediate purchase.

According to Searchmetrics, most eCommerce brands do not focus enough on informational content, meaning competition is not as fierce as it is for transactional searches. This makes informational content an open field and great way of taking on Amazon.

“If you can get shoppers to engage with your brand by luring them to your website via informational searches, there’s a greater chance your company and its products will come to mind when they eventually make a purchase,” said Lillian Haase, CMO from Searchmetrics. “Your aim should be to answer the key informational questions shoppers are asking in your market by providing advice, how-to articles, product comparisons and analysis of the newest trends and so on.”

“There’s even an opportunity for retailers to set themselves apart from Amazon with these practices. Because while the online marketplace may have collaborated with publishers, shops and brands to provide some of this content, as yet it hasn’t been done in great depth for very many products.”

Other ways online retailers can compete with Amazon is by placing a greater emphasis on creating comprehensive product search functionality on their websites. For example, they can add features like auto-suggest and/or complete; advanced size, color and material filters; faster search page speeds; and intuitive navigation based on people’s natural shopping practices.

“With the sheer volume of merchandise on Amazon, it can sometimes seem overwhelming for the shopper to find what they are looking for,” said Lillian Haase. “Creating a better user experience – by enhancing search functionality gives more control to the consumer. And ultimately, this more transparent shopping experience generates more loyal consumers.”

Top six beauty sector websites by market share on google.com











Website

Market share %

1

amazon.com

17.3

2

ulta.com

6.9

3

sephora.com

5.1

4

byrdie.com

4.5

5

goodhousekeeping.com

4.4

6

allure.com

3.6

Top six apparel sector websites by market share on google.com











Website

Market share %

1

amazon.com

9.7

2

nordstrom.com

8

3

edorme.com

5

4

express.com

3.7

5

vogue.com

3.4

6

victoriassecret.com

3.1

Top six furniture sector websites by market share on google.com











Website

Market share %

1

wayfair.com

15.3

2

amazon.com

11.3

3

homedepot.com

10.7

4

lowes.com

6.3

5

walmart.com

4

6

Ikea.com

3.6

For more insights, data and advice on the seven different vertical sectors that were analyzed, download the full report 2021 US eCommerce Market Analysis. For similar data and analysis of the UK, download the 2021 UK eCommerce Market Analysis.

About the data
The data presented in this study is based on an analysis of thousands of keywords shoppers use to search within seven online retail sectors. It covers different aspects of website performance in Google.com desktop search results in the summer of 2021. It includes:

  • Top domains by market share: Market share performance is based on analyzing the websites that are ranking on the first page of U.S. Google (Google.com) search results. The higher up a domain appears, the greater its market share. The overall market share for a website is based on the cumulative ranking position of all the keywords within any given sector.
  • The percentage of search queries by search intent: This refers to three areas of search intent: transactional search queries (searchers have an intent to make a purchase); informational search queries (searchers want to find information before buying something) and navigational search queries (searchers want to find a certain website).
  • Which brands spend the most in each vertical on Google Shopping ads. Google Shopping ads normally include an image, product name, price, reviews and link to the store website.
  • The average number of monthly searches per keyword in each sector.
  • The average cost-per-click for Google ads in the respective sector.

About Searchmetrics
Searchmetrics is a global provider of search data, software and consulting solutions. Its innovative approach ensures household names like AXA, Lowe’s and McKinsey & Company thrive in the hyper-competitive search landscape.

Searchmetrics enterprise offerings turn data from search into unique business insights that fuel clients’ continued growth.

Searchmetrics Suite delivers data-driven insights to maximize search and content performance. Its four modules: Research Cloud, Content Experience, Search Experience and Site Experience contain the tools SEO professionals, content marketers and digital specialists need to grow their organic search into a major driver of revenue.

The Digital Strategies Group is a team of data, SEO and content consultants who guide the world’s largest brands to excellence in digital marketing.

Searchmetrics Insights offer new sources of market research through exclusive metrics and analysis derived from search data.

Searchmetrics API allows enterprises to enrich BI or data warehouse applications with search engine rankings, keywords, content data and other marketing analytics.

More info: www.searchmetrics.com.

Press Contact:
Nadja Schiller
Searchmetrics GmbH
Director Global Marketing Communications
+49 30 322 95 35 – 52
n.schiller@searchmetrics.com

Uday Radia
CloudNine PR Agency
+44 7940 584161
uradia@cloudninepr.com



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