iPhone hype drives search spike

Americans hungry for information about the iPhone have flooded search engines with more than 6.9 million queries about the device this year.

Research firm comScore reported that users placed an average of 274,000 iPhone-related search queries per week in 2007. 

However, much of this was weighted by search-heavy weeks occurring after Apple chief executive Steve Jobs announced the iPhone, and in the three weeks leading up to the launch today. 

In the week after Jobs unveiled the iPhone at the Macworld Expo, 1.1 million searches for information on the device were performed.

That week was second only to the week of 24 June, when iPhone madness sparked more than 1.2 million searches.

The searches also generated more than 7.8 million click-throughs. Some 2.3 million of these went to Apple, while gadget sites Engadget and Gizmodo each enjoyed more than 270,000 click-throughs from iPhone related searches. 

Among the most popular terms for the search were 'iPhone price' and 'iPhone release date'.

James Lamberti, senior vice president of search solutions at comScore, said that the search results are very encouraging for the iPhone's prospects.

"We found that product-related searches in the consumer electronics category can result in conversion rates as high as 25 per cent within 90 days of the search," he said.

If Apple is able to turn these click-throughs into iPhone sales, Lamberti suggested that the company could haul in as much as US$1bn.

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