Using Google to drive library usage

Shaun Hobbs, Global Director, Content DevelopmentDavid Smith, Business Innovations Manager

Introduction

● Everyone uses Google – even when trained not to● We have to live with this reality

● CABI exposed 500,000 abstracts to Google● Google indexed them and made them available through both

the Google and Google Scholar search engines● When found by a Google user, they are brought to a specific

CABI page to view just that abstract - for free● Associated abstract with other information● Started at beginning of 2007

Preliminary analysis June 2007

● 80000 Total visits Jan-June● 5800 Total unique domains in this period● 12000 Total acad. visits in this period● 1200 Total acad. domains in this period

● 10-15% of visits were from the academic market

Top 10 .edu visitors

● Michigan State● University of Florida● UC Davis● Cornell● Texas A&M● Oxford● U Minnesota● NC State ● U Georgia● Iowa State

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Subject areas viewed

Top 10 subject areas viewed

1. Soils and Fertilisers

2. Horticulture

3. Leisure Tourism

4. Socio-Economics

5. Forestry

6. Rural Development

7. Plant Breeding

8. Veterinary

9. Crop Physiology

10. Hygiene and Communicable Diseases

CAB Abstracts on Google: Visits per day 2007

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01/01/2007 01/02/200701/03/2007 01/04/2007 01/05/2007 01/06/2007 01/07/2007 01/08/2007 01/09/2007 01/10/2007 01/11/2007

Daily V

isit

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Server Improvements(10K visits per day)

Page Improvements(17K visits per day)

Google changes their search algorithm (8K visits per day)

Some site changes and we register with Google (30+K visits per day!)

Who came in 2007● 2 million total visits● Around 200k from academic market● All CABI Member Countries visited● 56 African countries visited● Top 10

● USA - 410k● India – 245k● UK – 200k ● Canada – 88k ● Australia – 80k● Germany – 46k● China – 38k ● Brazil – 38k● Thailand – 38k● Philippines – 46k

How people use information

● Simple visit● Ask for more information about CABI● If recognised, link through to more information in

library holdings● Click on adsense● Bookmarked it for future use or other people’s use● Linked to it from Wikipedia

Google usage – a threat to subs?

Vast majority of visitors just looking at a single page

Usage nothing like in-depth analysis using full database access

Cannot easily get access to further abstracts

Controlling the Subscription risk opportunity● Look at the opportunity to increase usage of

subscriptions● Emphasise the difference between searching a

specific dataset (CAB Abstracts) and a generalised one (Google)

● Control what content we offer up and when● Control access to multiple Google records if

needed

Drive New Subscriptions & retain Existing Subscriptions

Branded Landing Page for IP recognised subscribers (ALL subscriber librarians to be invited to supply data)

Taking the user to the CAB Abstracts subscription their institution has PAID for…

What this experiment has shown us

● A wide variety of information across the database is viewed● Our information is of interest to a wide market, many new

users want to know more about us● Even our current market can find information easily through

this route● It can be used as a marketing tool for our, or your, purposes● CABI needs to be able to respond to large numbers of

visitors● Working with Google is not always easy● It should not be seen as a threat to subscription business

Next steps

● Work with libraries to enable the link through to their subscriptions – create specific landing page

● Improve responsiveness to new enquiries● Review current and possible products● Increase amount of material available● Look at the best use of the information now

available ● Invest in the subscription business - create

new CAB Direct search engine

Working to expose library assets

Let us work with you to improve access to your CABI holdings

For more information please email: smithd@cabi.org