Gas Prices Driving Changes in American Web Search and Traffic ...

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Gas Prices Driving Changes in American Web Search and Traffic ...
Tekrati Industry Analyst Reporter - Belmont,CA,USA
Gas prices near three dollars per gallon are driving American consumers online to research alternative fuel options such as ethanol and biodiesel, according to ...

 Gas prices near three dollars per gallon are driving American consumers online to research alternative fuel options such as ethanol and biodiesel, according to Hitwise. The analysts report sharp upticks in the popularity of search terms such as gas prices, ethanol and biodiesel as well as the popularity of web sites related to gas prices, government energy programs, and hybrid car manufacturers.

"When pump prices surge, we see a corresponding jump in searches for 'gas prices' as well as alternate fuel sources such as 'biodiesel,' which was popular when gas prices breached $3.00 a gallon last September," said Bill Tancer, general manager of research at Hitwise. "But this year, with the increased attention given to ethanol as an alternate fuel source, we see it overtaking 'biodiesel' as gas prices continue to rise."

Search terms

According to Hitwise, the share of U.S. internet searches for the term 'ethanol' was up 212 percent for the four weeks ending May 13, 2006 versus the four weeks ending April 15, 2006. Additionally, the share of searches for 'biodiesel' was up 100 percent in that same period.

Web sites

Government. In the month of April 2006, the market share of visits to the government site FuelEconomy.gov were up 115 percent over March 2006, and visits to the American Coalition for Ethanol site and the US Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy site were up 96 percent and 78 percent respectively.

Hitwise demographic data, in conjunction with Claritas PRIZM NE segmentation, shows that 50 percent of visitors to the US Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy site were from segments in the Town & Country social groups. The Town & Country segments are comprised of residents of rural areas and small towns throughout the nation, and comprise 37 percent of the US online population. Residents of rural areas typically have longer commutes to work, schools, and shopping areas than urban and suburban residents, thus showing a greater propensity to research alternative fuels.

Auto manufacturers. Hitwise says car manufacturers Toyota and Honda could be a beneficiary of the rising gas prices. The Toyota website has experienced an increase in market share of visits by 42 percent overall and the Honda Automobiles website by 19 percent, comparing April 2006 to January 2006. Both car manufacturers' hybrid models could be a factor in driving traffic to the site.

Gas price comparison sites. Hitwise data shows that the number of visits to the Gas Price Alert website and Gas Buddy website increased 432 percent and 417 percent respectively comparing the week ending April 29 versus the week ending April 1. Overall, the Gas Buddy website has received more than 25 percent of the traffic from searches on the term 'gas prices' for the four weeks ending May 13, 2006.

Visit the Hitwise blog for more information and some graphs on how Internet Search behavior is affected by rising gas costs.