Faced with a question or problem, we naturally fire up the Google for a quick answer or solution.
And it works ... sometimes.
While Google remains a vital basic search tool that returns a multitude of results in a split second, the thousands of irrelevant links cluttering search results make it difficult to find credible information you can actually base a business decision on.
The SEO consulting firm Backlinko studied 4 million organic searches for click-through rates and found that the highest percentage of click-throughs, 27.6 percent, were on the first search result. The second-highest result only got 15.8 percent, and so on. That obviously underscores the importance of appearing first in search results.
However, it also means that 73.4 percent of the time, the first search result, which should be the most relevant result in any search, didn't satisfy the users' queries.
That shouldn't be surprising. Because Google does not check the accuracy of information on web pages it indexes, pages with misleading, inaccurate or false information often worm their way up in the rankings.
That means you have to do your own fact-checking on each link you click. If you don't possess advanced searching skills to narrow down the results, that can become a tedious, frustrating exercise that wastes your time ... and your money.
It can even become stressful if your search lands you in a mudslide of ads, irrelevancy and filter bubbles that obscure that one valuable nugget of data or information you need to make an important decision.
An independent Information Professional can help with this. We can take the reins and save you time, money and stress by conducting that research for you, including fact-checking "alternative facts" that make truth slippery on the Web.
Info Pros fact-check using Primary and Secondary research including off-Google searches, database searches, libraries, document and media requests, interviews, processes for vetting sources, and a finely tuned "BS detector".
The Info Pro's final report will deliver credible, current data and information in a format you prefer and enable you to make your decision with confidence.