Google India releases Auto Industry Report based on the search query trends

Google India released a report on the auto sector in India today, providing deep insights into consumer search trends in the sector. A compilation of consumer search behavior in the auto category (Cars & Bikes) in the last two years ("09 & "10), the ""Google India Auto Report', underlines how Indian consumers are increasingly relying on the Internet to make auto purchase decisions.

Speaking about the trends observed in the report, Rajan Anandan Vice President and MD of Google India, said, "The report shows how crucial the Internet has become in influencing purchase decisions of the consumers. In the last two years, we've seen great traction amongst the players in the auto vertical as they continue to embrace digital advertising to engage car & bikes shoppers online. We have seen over 150% growth in revenues from the auto sector in 2010 and we expect the share of auto advertising spends on digital to grow significantly in the next few years"

The boom in the auto Industry in India was reflected in the search behavior of Indian users on Google. According to the report, the auto vertical witnessed tremendous growth in online searches registering 110% and 84% growth in 2009 and 2010 respectively on Google Search. The trend continues to show fast paced growth this year with the auto category showing a growth of 72% in the first six months of 2011 over same period last year. The auto vertical is now also the fastest-growing vertical compared to other key verticals like consumer electronics, finance and travel.

The online search behavior of consumers mirrors the offline world, as query volumes on Google search see a 38% increase over first half of the year as Indian consumers tend to make auto purchases during the festive season (2009 to 2010). Indians are also more research oriented when it comes to auto related purchases, with 65% Indians using the Internet as the first place to do their research before deciding on the vehicle of their choice. This is ahead of consumers in mature markets like US and Europe where only 62% of users use Internet as their first stop.