UK searches for ‘leave’ related EU searches outnumber ‘stay’ searches by a margin of nearly 5:1, according to new research.
The study, from Hitwise, a division of Connexity, lifts a lid on what Brits are searching for when it comes to learning and informing their decision around Brexit. The research makes use of the daily search behaviour of three million UK internet users.
Top 5 search terms around the Referendum
1. Leave EU
2. Britain must leave the EU
3. Business leaders EU exit
4. Reasons to leave the EU
5. If UK leaves the EU what happens…
The Hitwise data reveals Brits are still unclear about what a Brexit result would mean for the country, with ‘leave’ or ‘yes’ related searches outnumbering ‘stay’ or ‘no’ searches by a margin of nearly 5:1.
Top sites visited of those searching for ‘Leave EU’
• Hitwise found Brits are turning their attention to different sites to make their decisions
• Twitter is by far the most popular destination, with 25% of those searching for ‘leave EU’ heading to the site
• This suggests people are looking to the opinion of others more so than established sites such as BBC News
Source: Hitwise, a division of Connexity
Who is searching for ‘Leave EU’?
• Of those searching for ‘leave EU’, more than half (54%) are under the age of 35
• Given that this segment of the population make up just a third of all online adults, that means that adults ages 18 to 34 are 60% more likely than average to be conducting ‘leave EU’ searches
*Numbers do not add to 100% due to rounding
Source: Hitwise, a division of Connexity
How do different groups differ?
• Those ages 18-34 are more likely to be searching to understand what will happen if the UK votes to exit the EU as well as looking at the likelihood of that happening
• Those ages 35 and older are more likely to be looking for reasons why the UK should exit and looking for the latest poll numbers to understand which way public opinion is leaning
• Men are more likely to be looking at the poll numbers too as well as what the current odds are that Britain will vote yes
• Women are more likely to be searching for reasons why the UK should leave or stay and specifically look at the ‘pros’ and ‘cons’ of a potential exit
Nigel Wilson, managing director at Hitwise, a division of Connexity, said: “Socially significant events such as the EU Referendum are prime examples that show how living data, reflected by how we behave online, differs dramatically by audience gender and age. It is clear from our data that audiences are still trying to fact find and educate themselves on the impending Brexit decision. We expect this hunger for information to increase as we draw closer.”
All data ranges from UK searches across the time period of 09/01/2016 – 02/04/2016.
Source: http://www.connexity.com
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