--- title: "Search Engines vs Social Media: Which Source Is More Trusted?" description: When it comes to getting general news and information, consumers put as much trust in search engine as they do in traditional media - and more in both than they do in social media. image: https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/hs-fs/file-1034045445-jpg/blog-files/edelman-trust-2013.jpg --- [![](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DSM-Logo.png?width=270&height=125&name=DSM-Logo.png)](https://www.thedsmgroup.com) - [Blog](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog) # Blog ## Search Engines vs Social Media: Which Source Is More Trusted? by [Jason Diller](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/author/jason-diller), on 4:12 AM on February 21, 2013 It's a problem we all go through... When we need info on a topic, do we search using Google or ask our friends on Facebook, Twitter, Quora, or LinkedIn? The chart below sheds some light on the subject... ![Search Engines vs Social Media: Which Source Is More Trusted?](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/hs-fs/file-1034045445-jpg/blog-files/edelman-trust-2013.jpg?width=600&height=463&name=edelman-trust-2013.jpg "Search Engines vs Social Media: Which Source Is More Trusted?") New data coming out of the recently released [2013 Edelman Trust Barometer](http://www.edelman.com/insights/intellectual-property/trust-2013/), the 13th annual global survey that uses data from "informed publics" - which are college-educated individuals in upper income brackets that follow public policy issues and are active media users. When it comes to getting general news and information, consumers put as much trust in [search engines](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/seo) as they do in traditional media - and more in both than they do in social media. Trust in media, the survey says, is up 5% over the last year, with search engines and traditional media topping the list. 58% overall said they trust those sources for news and information. Comparatively, only 41% of respondents said they trust social media for general news and info. (Note: “Owned media” above refers to company websites. The “Hybrid media” definition isn’t clear from the study, but appears to describe company blogs and micro blog services like Twitter.) But, with only 58 percent overall saying they trust search engines for news and information, that could be seen as a sign that Google and Bing (and others) have a long way to go in giving searchers reliable results — or maybe in convincing searchers that the results can be trusted. Both Google and Bing seem to be trying to do just that by surfacing more reliable information, rather than just a list of links, in response to many queries. ## Where do you go when you need trusted info on a topic? ## Let us know in the comments below. Topics: [Social Media](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/social-media) [SEO](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/seo) ### About this blog This is where you give the visitor a brief introduction to both this blog and your company. Keep the intro pithy and punchy. ### Subscribe to Email Updates ### Recent Posts ### Posts by Topic - [Advertising (25)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/advertising) - [Culture (24)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/culture) - [Social Media (21)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/social-media) - [Marketing (20)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/marketing) - [Inbound Marketing (17)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/inbound-marketing) - [SEO (13)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/seo) - [Content Marketing (11)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/content-marketing) - [Website Design (11)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/website-design) - [Tech (9)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/tech) - [Apps (8)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/apps) - [Featured (7)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/featured) - [Startups (6)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/startups) - [Wristband Revolution (6)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/wristband-revolution) - [Branding (4)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/branding) - [Creative (4)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/creative) - [Events (4)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/events) - [Mobile (2)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/mobile) - [Reputation Management (2)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/reputation-management) - [Agency Life (1)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/agency-life) - [Conversion Rate Optimization (1)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/conversion-rate-optimization) - [Email (1)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/email) - [Public Relations (1)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/topic/public-relations) see all ### Blog Archive - [June 2014 (24)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2014/06) - [October 2014 (17)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2014/10) - [May 2014 (16)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2014/05) - [April 2013 (14)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2013/04) - [September 2014 (13)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2014/09) - [February 2015 (11)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2015/02) - [October 2013 (9)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2013/10) - [November 2014 (9)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2014/11) - [February 2013 (7)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2013/02) - [June 2013 (7)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2013/06) - [September 2013 (7)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2013/09) - [July 2014 (7)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2014/07) - [January 2013 (6)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2013/01) - [July 2013 (6)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2013/07) - [December 2014 (5)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2014/12) - [October 2012 (3)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2012/10) - [March 2013 (3)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2013/03) - [April 2014 (3)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2014/04) - [May 2013 (2)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2013/05) - [November 2013 (2)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2013/11) - [February 2014 (2)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2014/02) - [January 2015 (2)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2015/01) - [December 2012 (1)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2012/12) - [August 2013 (1)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2013/08) - [January 2014 (1)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2014/01) - [March 2014 (1)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2014/03) - [August 2014 (1)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2014/08) - [March 2015 (1)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2015/03) - [April 2017 (1)](https://marketing.thedsmgroup.com/blog/archive/2017/04) see all ### Contact **Your Company Name, Inc.** Street Address City, ST 00000 Call us: 1-800-COMPANY (800-000-0000) ### From Our Blog ### Subscribe to Newsletter ### Connect With Us © 2026 DSM