50 Percent of Internet Users Perform Searches in Response to Online Ads

Fifty percent of Internet users eventually perform searches in response to online display advertising. 

This was a noteworthy finding from the search engine marketing firm iProspect's recently published report, Search Engine Marketing and Online Display Advertising Integration Study, sponsored by search engine marketing firm iProspect. The study is based on a commissioned survey fielded by Forrester Consulting.

The two channels — online display advertising and SEM — have a closer relationship than many marketers may have thought, according to the study. In fact, it shows that Internet users initially respond to the medium as follows:

• 31 percent respond by directly clicking on an ad;
• 27 percent respond by searching for the product, brand or company by conducting a search on a search engine;
• 21 percent respond by typing the company Web address into their browsers and directly navigating to the Web site; and
• 9 percent respond by investigating the product, brand or company through social media venues.

Beyond Internet users’ initial response to online display advertising, the study also revealed findings about what happens when a latency element is taken into consideration.

When asked how they eventually respond to display ads, for example, 49 percent of Internet users said they launched searches on search engines for the companies, products or brands that were the focus of the ads to which they were exposed. This figure comprises those who eventually perform searches and visit Web sites from search results (38 percent), those who do the same but actually purchase products (14 percent), and those who perform searches but do not click on any of the results (11 percent).

Other key findings from the study include the following:

• 33 percent of Internet users who respond to online display advertising eventually purchase from companies or offers with which they’re familiar, which is more than twice the number who purchase after learning of an offer or company for the first time from online display advertising (14 percent);
• 38 percent learn about a brand for the first time as a result of exposure to online display advertising; and
• 9 percent initially respond to online display advertising by investigating the product, brand or company through social media venues or message boards.

4 ways marketers can take action
With these results in mind, the survey provider offered several tips on marketing for online display engines and search engines: 

1. Ensure that brands, keywords, messaging, creative and offers detailed in your display ads are mirrored in your search campaigns and on your Web site, and that the site is well optimized and indexed in the search engines.
2. Because nearly a quarter of Internet users respond to online display advertising by typing the company Web address into a browser to directly navigate to the Web site, marketers should strive to secure an intuitive domain.
3. Invest in online reputation management to ensure your presence in social media is well cared for and devoid of caustic commentary. Also, capitalize on this opportunity by building viable content on your Web site as well as joining the social media conversation; becoming part of the community; and populating these venues with content that is authentic, favorable and useful.
4. Have some degree of attribution modeling in place to best determine which channels are contributing to conversions. This helps determine the impact of search and display on conversions, as well as the impact of all their online tactics.

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