That's according to a survey of consumers' habits when they used online search engines. Most people quizzed by US search engine marketeers iProspect gave up if they couldn't find what they wanted in the first three pages.

A third of searchers told the survey they thought businesses on the first page of results were the top brands in their sector.

Robert Murray, iProspect's president, said:

"It should be clear that to be effective, marketers need to take action to ensure that their firm is found in the top search results on a broad range of search terms and not just single-word generic terms. Marketers make six-figure investments in websites without any consideration for how that site will attract an audience.

"It’s time that businesses that are refreshing, redesigning, or launching a new website start with the end in mind. If no one can find it, no one will use it. It will be a wasted investment without a clear search strategy.�