User Behavior Test

Ok, I know we have had a couple of tests on user behavior already but I think it is an important thing to do.

I have a site without Google Analytics (but uses Urchin on the server side incidently) that is not in a very competetive area SERPs wise.

So the test.

Go to www.google.com and do a web search for the following keywords as a keyword phrase or string
Precision
Air
Bearing

Find the SERP from the domain www(dot)cranfieldprecision(dot)com which is in position 6 on Data Center 216.239.59.104
in the UK on the 4th of July 2007.

Click on the SERP and stay on that page for upwards of 3 minutes. Then close the browser.

<edit>As Chris rightly points out, please click on at least one other pages after you have been on the first one for 3 minutes. Thnaks Chris</edit>

I am going to compare the SERP postion / Data Center / Amount of Visits / Average Visit Duration

I will see what happens here and then Add Google Analytics to the site and see what difference that makes with the same test.

If you install Google Tool bar before visiting the site that would aid the test

I just searched and found your site (on page 4 in Germany). Well, good luck with the experiment, but there are a few problems:

- You mention the search phrase only separated by white space in this thread which will flaw your results
- You mention your url in this thread which might have an influence, too.
- You staying on the site and closing the browser does not mean a visitor clicks generates any further requests to your server. Thus, it can be impossible to tell whether he/she stayed for 5 seconds or 3 minutes. You should rephrase that so that everyone does the same thing.

Well yes Chris has some valid points.

tstolber, I appreciate your effort for providing a resource for the benefit of all... Good job..

However I would like to clarify, was there any SEO done prior on that domain? Ummm what would you say/think If I suggest lets not take a domain thats already in top-10, perhaps if we can get one thats near around 40's or 50's and then we might be able to get a broad explanation that overall SERPS do get a boost or kind of and BY HOW MUCH..

Coz when the domain is already in top-10, CTR and time spent might be least of the factors to judge.. however when the domain is somewhere at 40-50 it might be judged better on those terms..?

What say friends?

Regards
LKS

Some Good Points

Chriss's point about clicking on another page is a very good one so yes, stay on the one page for 3 minutes then click else where on the site and then close the browser thanks for the clarification.

I would like to keep the whit space as it represents a normal search this page is found for and is like normal user behavior. Most users don't use quotes to target the exact string.

I know I mentioned the domain but I used (dot) to seperate them and I did not link it so I don't think that is a problem. I did consider this through which is why I didn't title it or make anything related to the test too prominent. Good observation though.

As this site doesn't have Google Analytics installed I am speculating that it won't see a significant change. It is in a low competetive SERP so any small difference will have a reasonable effect.

The site has had no SEO on it for about 4 years. It has held constant SERPs for 4 years on all pages with very little fluctuation. I deliberately chose an old and stable domain.

Any further thoughts would be good.

Ya got my support what ever you want to do. My advice use this thread to work out exactly what you you want your experiment to do than start another thread. Also Keeep any explainations extremly simple...

Thanks Gazzahk

Any more suggestions would be welcome.
I will monitor these SERPs daily and look at the server logs to get an idea of duration v visits etc.

Any more thoughts or ideas?

Today the site is in the same 6th position with a data center change to - 64.233.183.104.

I haven't looked at any stats yet. I need a few more people to click on to the site to get some usable data and I will wait and see what SERPs movement there is.

On a different data center 216.239.59.104 with more results added. Moved up to 5th from 6th.

I will leave this for a while and see if it settles back down.

Then I will install Google Analytics and repeat the test to see what happens.

I will also look closely at usage statistics.

I ran your test;
- You were ranked number 49 (last entry on 4th page)
- Not sure what datacenter I am on
- Google toolbar showed PR4