How google triggers the behavior of its users

Abstract

With this contribution we would like to explore if Google’s new style guides on their search engine result pages count for a more liberal competition on electronic information markets. To get empirical evidence on this research question a two stage experimental eye tracking study was conducted. On the first stage the attention and selection behavior of 20 participants on ‘universal search’ engine result pages was recorded and published (Möller & Schierl, 2012). On the second stage 35 participants took part in a follow-up study in 2013 and were confronted with different pages of search results taken from Google’s proposal to the European Commission. The results reveal that the implemented visual markers by Google weigh heavily in favour of Google’s own services and considering this will have a negative effect on the liberal competition with other providers of online information.