I find it so interesting to learn that even though we all as marketers focus on Google which does send the most traffic - the eCommerce conversion rates were much higher from AOL in a recent study. When you look at the demographics in the quote below, it all sort of makes sense.

DMNews today has an interesting slant on WebSideStory’s index which compares the conversion rates of the four major search engines at consumer eCommerce sites. AOL generated 6.17 percent conversion rates as compared to Google - the lowest at 3.83 percent. (MSN came in at 6.3 and Yahoo 4.07).

“Google showed the greatest disparity between its conversion rates from apparel Web sites (2.33 percent) versus sports and leisure sites (4.51 percent). This suggests that Google users skew male and have less intent to buy, Bratt said. In comparison, AOL had conversion rates of 5.48 percent for apparel and 5.96 percent for sports and leisure, reinforcing the notion that AOL appeals to a more buyer-friendly demographic.”

So you want more buyers and conversions? Advertise on AOL. How do you do that? Advertise with Google! ;-) Oh what a tangled and incestuous web we weave!