Zwolle, 20 March 2025 – Advertising in Google’s search results only has a limited effect on its audience. Seven out of ten Dutch people say they consciously skip these ads, choosing instead to click only on organic results. Still, it remains crucial for businesses to appear in the top ten search results. A third of Dutch people almost always click on the very first result. A similar proportion say they never even look at the second page of Google. This was revealed in a study conducted by digital PR agency Tijd voor Publiciteit.
Tijd voor Publiciteit surveyed a representative panel of one thousand Dutch respondents for this research. Notably, men and women as well as various age groups appear to be largely in agreement. Even the older generation recognises sponsored results as such. In fact, more than 76 per cent of over-70s deliberately skip them – the highest percentage among all age groups.
Women and young people more impatient
When asked whether they ever look at the second page of Google, more than a third of women said they never do – compared to ‘just’ a quarter of men. The differences across age groups are even more striking. Nearly half (46 per cent) of those in their twenties never go beyond page one. The same applies to almost 40 per cent of people in their thirties, whereas among those aged 50 and over, this figure drops to less than 20 per cent. “So if you’re targeting an older demographic, ranking eleventh or twelfth in Google is far from useless – despite what’s often assumed,” says Frank Breukelman of Tijd voor Publiciteit.
Google reintroduces page layout
Interestingly, Google reintroduced the traditional page layout in its search results last year. Back in late 2022, it had scrapped this format, offering users infinite scrolling instead of numbered pages. The return to the old layout may be linked to user experience and advertising revenue. Numbered pages make it easier for Google to place ads strategically and guide users toward specific results.
Less Google, more social & ChatGPT
Although Google still serves as the primary search platform for 72 per cent of the Dutch population, younger generations are increasingly turning to social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram as their go-to ‘search engines’. This was shown in an earlier study by Tijd voor Publiciteit in October last year. Around one in six people also use ChatGPT as an alternative to Google, and for a small group (2.7 per cent), the AI chatbot is actually their primary search tool.
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