Tanushree Basuroy
Research expert covering India
Online search usage in India - statistics & facts
Over time, the internet has become intrinsically woven into everyday life. From looking up meal prep recipes for your weekday dinner to learning how to fix a complex appliance at home, people are constantly in search of information that is readily available at their fingertips. Behind it all lie powerful search engines that retrieve information from the remotest corners of the world wide web at lightning speeds. To quench their thirst for knowledge, internet users in India, home to one of the largest digital populations worldwide, accessed the internet myriad times to conduct online searches across various search engines and devices.
The pandemic also reshaped the kind of consumerism prevalent in India which reflected in their online search behavior. Google reported an increase in search interest across various categories such as financial security, family and personal health, as well as eco-friendly products and delivery. Consumers were also more aware of online scams and fraud and laid emphasis on the trustworthiness of brands.
India - Google’s chief external source of web traffic
Search guru Google has almost entirely monopolized the Indian search market despite competitors like Microsoft Bing and Yahoo! presenting alternatives. The web browser market has also come a long way from using the likes of Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. Nowadays, Indians exhibit a high proficiency in the use of web browsers on both desktops and smartphones, with Google Chrome being the popular browser of choice. Smartphones also accounted for the largest share of web traffic in this South Asian market where the government’s Digital India initiative led to affordable internet rates and higher smartphone penetration.What do Indians search for?
Most search queries in India were commercial in nature which could be attributed to a booming e-commerce industry. Be it online shopping or travel-related expenses, consumerism in India continued to flourish. No wonder Amazon.in figured among the most visited websites in India. When not reading up about products or brands, entertainment is always on the Indian consumer's mind. Online videos, television and movie consumption was among the leading reasons for using the internet.The pandemic also reshaped the kind of consumerism prevalent in India which reflected in their online search behavior. Google reported an increase in search interest across various categories such as financial security, family and personal health, as well as eco-friendly products and delivery. Consumers were also more aware of online scams and fraud and laid emphasis on the trustworthiness of brands.
Tapping the potential of search advertising
With the country hurtling towards becoming a completely digital economy, various industries have also had to adapt. Advertising and marketing were a key avenue for verticals to make that transition. The digital media market has shown great promise and Indian industries choose to spend more and more on digital advertising formats. Paid search was among the three most important digital advertising formats, chiefly sustained by the banking and financial services sector in 2021. Interestingly, India also ranked among the leading five countries in the world for adblocking.
