Keep at it

Search Engine Land has published an article exploring the subconscious side of search.

"The habitual choice of a search engine is one area where the illusion of conscious will is at play," it writes.

According to Search Engine Land, a competitive search engine is able to simplify both querying a topic and scanning a page. These actions that take seconds before a user ultimately clicks on a site.

The article also argues Google's overwhelming popularity among searchers resulted from three things:

• Perceived relevancy
• Viral growth
• Timing

The challenge faced by rivals, such as Microsoft, Yahoo or any future search engine contender, is to compel users to break the Google habit.