About 71 percent of online consumers use search engines to find health-related information, but only 16 percent find the information they are looking for, according to a new JupiterResearch report, "Health Search: Assessing Consumers' Demand for Health Vertical Search Engines."
Some 60 percent of online consumers use general search engines, mostly Google, for helath info; but 42 percent also use various health search engines, such as WebMD, AOL Health and MSN Health & Fitness, according to JupiterResearch.
"Despite strong demand for health information, most online consumers' search experiences are negative," said Monique Levy, senior analyst and author of the report. "The combination of high demand and poor experience means there is a significant opportunity for better engines and products in the market."
"Search engines must work toward striking the right balance between search efficiency, quality of results and proprietary feature sets," said David Schatsky, president of JupiterKagan. "Online consumers are interested in features that improve and facilitate their searches as long as they don't add an unnecessary layer of complexity."
