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Da Vinci Code and Google SERP

May 10, 2006

About a month ago, Google started putting a link at the bottom of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) to a Da Vinci Code game on Sony Pictures website. The game promotes Google's personalised homepage and those that want to play need to sign up for a Google account. When the link was launched there was much debate about Google's rationale for entering into this partnership with Sony Pictures (see John Battelle's blog).

I looked at Hitwise to see how much the link is impacting visits to Sony Pictures' website - as you'd expect, the impact is huge. The following chart shows downstream visits from Google UK to Sony Pictures' website on the left axis and visits to Sony Pictures' website on the right axis. The link was added to the SERP around 12th April - the chart illustrates nicely the corresponding spike in visits.

Da Vinci Chart.png

Sony Pictures' website received almost half (47%) of its traffic from Google (combined UK and .com) last week. This is 44% more than average for the Hitwise Entertainment - Movies category.

Of course, the link on the SERP is not the only thing driving the increase in visits from Google. Interest in the Da Vinci Code has been increasing - as have searches - in anticipation of the film's release. But... Visits downstream from the other search engines have not increased at nearly the same rate as visits from Google UK (see chart below).

Da Vinci Chart all Engines.png

In spite of all of the promotion in anticipation of the film's release, searches for the Da Vinci Code remain lower than for several other films. Searches for "harry potter", "star wars", "silent hill" and "angry kid" all experienced a higher share of searches last week than "da vinci code".

Given that the film has not yet been released (due out 19th May), we may yet see searches pick up. In the meantime, Google's SERP will continue to drive interest in the film - and visits to Sony Pictures' website.

Posted by Heather Hopkins at 10:58 PM | (1) | (1)

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Comments

Hi, I love your premise and study here and am going to link your blog to mine. I did search the google for the game, but tired quickly of it. Two years ago I played with games from Dan Browns site, limited but fun. I haven't done any searches because I have read the book...hated the writing, but loved the premise. I study anthropology and comparative stories/myths and was a fan of The Holy Blood and The Holy Grail back in the day....the book that inspired Browns novel. So I suppose I don't want to search or read anything rather keep the movie as new as possible. I will probably see the movie opening weekend, do not need promotion to get myself out to the theatre.

Just fascinated by your perspectives...hope you have time to come and visit me.

Have a great weekend!
Cheers,
Candy

Posted by Candy Minx | May 12, 2006 11:02 AM

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