Report: Mobile Safari Users Generate More Clicks, Longest Queries

Ad network Chitika provided us with some interesting data comparing click through rates (CTRs) and query lengths on the various desktop and mobile browsers based on millions of impressions on its network. It found that Opera (PC) browser users clicked-through more often than other browser users.

Opera users are generally regarded as less mainstream and more tech-savvy than other browser users (e.g., Explorer) so it’s curious that Opera’s CTR would be highest. Next in line after Opera but ahead of all other browsers, PC or mobile, is mobile Safari with a 1.54 percent CTR.

Chitika told me previously that it’s confident these mobile clicks are intended and not a product of the so-called “fat finger problem.” The full browser-CTR list is below.

Average CTR by browser

Source: Chitika

The following are aggregated average CTRs across platforms in the US and Canada:

• All U.S. and Canadian Desktops: 0.85 percent
• All U.S. and Canadian Mobile Phones: 1.07 percent
• All U.S. and Canadian Tablets: 1.06 percent

Chitika also took a look at average search query lengths for each of the browsers. Safari users (PC and mobile) formulated longer queries, on average, than other browser users. In this case Android browser users generated the shortest queries. It’s a bit of a challenge to explain why Android users would formulate the shortest queries and mobile Safari users the longest.

Average search query length by browser (words per query)

Source: Chitika

One might be tempted to say “Siri” or speech to explain the discrepancy. However Android handsets also have voice search. So the explanation isn’t voice search or speech by itself.

About The Author

Greg Sterling

Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. He writes a personal blog, Screenwerk, about connecting the dots between digital media and real-world consumer behavior. He is also VP of Strategy and Insights for the Local Search Association. Follow him on Twitter or find him at Google+.