Based on studies using eye-tracking technology, a new report from Enquiro, Did-It and Eyetools looks at how users interact with Google search results, writes Search Engine Watch. Viewers scan Google search results in an F-shaped pattern, with the eye traveling vertically along the far left side of the results looking for visual cues (e.g., relevant words, brands) and then moving to the right. Also, the way searchers react to organic results is different from the way they react to sponsored listings.

An interesting concept discussed is "semantic mapping," which may lead to search marketers' optimizing pages more effectively - specifically, optimizing for concepts rather than keywords.

The idea is that when people search they're actually looking not merely for the best search result but for a site that best matches a concept in their minds.

The study found that searchers tend to respond to search results that do the best job of matching the concept in the searcher's mind, regardless of the position of the search result on the page.

The study also examines other factors influencing search behavior, including the important role played by peripheral vision, the impact of bold search terms in results, demographic differences that can affect searcher preferencesj, and confidence in initial search results vs. those seen more than once.