The privacy furor that erupted August 6 over the 20-million Web queries posted by AOL has distracted from the useful information contained in the database. While AOL removed it a week ago, numerous search-engine researchers had already downloaded the file and have reposted it with front-ends for research purposes.
SEO Sleuth <seosleuth.com> has posted the top-2000 search terms from the AOL sample. Click the continuation link below to see a list of all banking terms that made the top 2000 list. Here's the first 10 with their overall rank among all search terms:
40. bank of america
86. bankofamerica
114. fidelity
159. bankofamerica.com
170. paypal
174. www.bankofamerica.com
202. free credit report
215. american express
259. wachovia
264. wells fargo
What's striking about the AOL search data is the overwhelming preference to search on brand names rather than product categories. Also, that Bank of America has an extraordinary share of mind with searchers, with its various forms accounting for four of the top six most-searched financial services terms.
—JB
Rank/Search Term/Number of Searches/% of Searches that Ended in a Click (to ANY website)
Note: Click on the search term for a list of the websites visited after entering this search term
| 40 | bank of america | 5,920 | 70% |
| 86 | bankofamerica | 3,450 | 71% |
| 114 | fidelity.com | 2,862 | 77% |
| 159 | bankofamerica.com | 2,280 | 53% |
| 170 | paypal | 2,197 | 24% |
| 174 | www.bankofamerica.com | 2,174 | 45% |
| 202 | free credit report | 2,007 | 61% |
| 215 | american express | 1,931 | 70% |
| 259 | wachovia | 1,715 | 68% |
| 264 | wells fargo | 1,691 | 76% |
| 283 | capital one | 1,620 | 44% |
| 284 | zillow.com | 1,616 | 36% |
| 313 | chase.com | 1,525 | 57% |
| 327 | wellsfargo.com | 1,460 | 50% |
| 333 | chase | 1,454 | 64% |
| 343 | mortgage calculator | 1,420 | 62% |
| 382 | www.capitalone.com | 1,290 | 18% |
| 391 | washington mutual | 1,266 | 78% |
| 448 | citibank | 1,155 | 79% |
| 457 | wachovia.com | 1,135 | 52% |
| 488 | www.wellsfargo.com | 1,089 | 47% |
| 509 | capitalone.com | 1,041 | 24% |
| 525 | wellsfargo | 1,017 | 62% |
| 528 | credit report | 1,014 | 62% |
| 555 | capitalone | 985 | 41% |
| 558 | wamu.com | 983 | 67% |
| 667 | checks | 850 | 75% |
| 674 | chase bank | 846 | 72% |
| 689 | credit cards | 835 | 42% |
| 708 | www.bankofamerica | 817 | 20% |
| 731 | mbna | 795 | 78% |
| 732 | bank of america.com | 795 | 54% |
| 756 | personal loans | 775 | 78% |
| 782 | www.wachovia.com | 761 | 39% |
| 807 | paypal.com | 745 | 19% |
| 813 | zillow | 739 | 50% |
| 819 | commerce bank | 735 | 83% |
| 901 | wamu | 685 | 71% |
| 910 | freecreditreport.com | 682 | 34% |
| 922 | fidelity | 675 | 70% |
| 961 | usbank | 656 | 77% |
| 984 | loans | 644 | 33% |
| 985 | providian | 644 | 86% |
| 1058 | mypay | 612 | 90% |
| 1085 | hsbc | 601 | 51% |
| 1145 | usaa | 570 | 75% |
| 1171 | americanexpress.com | 563 | 53% |
| 1195 | us bank | 553 | 80% |
| 1232 | ameritrade | 541 | 60% |
| 1249 | discover card | 536 | 65% |
| 1251 | etrade | 535 | 65% |
| 1309 | auto insurance | 518 | 51% |
| 1319 | aetna | 516 | 78% |
| 1333 | www.wamu.com | 512 | 71% |
| 1371 | www.zillow.com | 501 | 25% |
| 1388 | usbank.com | 496 | 63% |
| 1396 | orchard bank | 493 | 50% |
| 1425 | wells fargo bank | 484 | 75% |
| 1446 | payday loans | 479 | 72% |
| 1449 | citizens bank | 478 | 74% |
| 1488 | bank one | 469 | 73% |
| 1494 | suntrust | 467 | 82% |
| 1502 | wwwbankofamerica.com | 464 | 21% |
| 1529 | www.providian.com | 458 | 76% |
| 1548 | www.citicards.com | 452 | 35% |
| 1582 | wachovia bank | 444 | 52% |
| 1630 | experian | 435 | 57% |
| 1648 | americanexpress | 431 | 59% |
| 1655 | www.bank of america.com | 430 | 44% |
| 1663 | national city bank | 427 | 77% |
| 1693 | www.chase.com creditcards | 420 | 52% |
| 1714 | bad credit loans | 416 | 80 |
| 1715 | providian.com | 416 | 79% |
| 1801 | credit reports | 403 | 63% |
| 1823 | usaa.com | 400 | 62% |
| 1833 | citicards.com | 397 | 48% |
| 1873 | www.americanexpress.com | 392 | 38% |
| 1879 | american express.com | 391 | 30% |
| 1883 | annualcreditreport.com | 391 | 62% |
| 1912 | bankone | 386 | 75% |
| 1927 | life insurance | 385 | 60% |
| 1964 | zillo.com | 380 | 17% |
| 1978 | countrywide | 376 | 50% |