---
title: "Search engine stats: Jim Lanzone from Ask.com"
date: 2005-10-07
author: "Richard MacManus"
categories:
  - name: "ReadWriteWeb"
    url: "/category/readwriteweb.md"
tags:
  - name: "2005"
    url: "/tag/2005.md"
---

# Search engine stats: Jim Lanzone from Ask.com

Shows stats – 36k feeds that really matter; 14k “really really matter”, 60 feeds that are Paris Hilton hot; 1 feed is da bomb – slashdot. \[will update these stats later\]

Long tail of searches – 95%. eg head queries: hurricane rita, maps, song lyrics.

Long tail of verticals (or categories). Also long tail of revenue – “most of revenue still made in the head”. 30% of searches drive 70% of search revenue. “still very very early” in the marketplace.

Head query: 1.57 keywords, tail is 5.01 keywords. More compeition (obviously) for head keywords.

25% of clicks on Ask index went to only 330k URLs. 50% clicks went to very small head (search results).

Only 1% of users use advanced search. Instead users iterate.

UI. 2% use the tabs. header 15% CTR. 35% CTR for image bar. 45% CTR for main search area. 15% CTR on right-hand vertical bar (where Google puts their ads, but Ask puts content). Jim says it’s a 1-2% CTR for Google ads on right, by comparison.

Jim will put all this data on their site later today.

*Originally published on ReadWriteWeb ([archived copy](https://web.archive.org/web/20020204040018/http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/search_engine_s.php))*