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Originally Posted by maniactive
"Researchers at ComScore Networks recently found that people who click on sponsored links in search results are twice as likely to buy something as people who click on unpaid search results after running the same query."
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This is a reasonable conclusion and totally inline with human psyche.
A newspaper for instance - people do not usually go looking to buy something from a column, article, or headlines, they read to be "informed" (.e.g SERP's).
Those with a need tend to investigate the "classifies" (AdWords)
And some companies maximize readership (frontpage ads) for impulse buyers, or special interests (business or travel section) similiar to Premium Listings.
Ads are normally developed/designed for people with a need and to capitalize on that need. Thus this data is reasonable.
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I found this statement incredible (again, true meaning of the word!) My own stats and the stats of many of my clients don't seem to support this statement: in many cases, unpaid listings outsell the paid listings!
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Often true - but this does not mean the data is faulty. This could be website disorientation, lack of information, usability problems or 1,000 other possible issues.
We are a global society built on commercial advertisements - it is quite reasonable that offline psyche also plays a part of onlines buting habits.
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"ComScore also found that paid search links had four times the click-through rate of unpaid search results for the same queries."
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Since the data sources were not mentioned nor did they break it down two possibilities become apparent.
Few search engines with sponsored listings place these listings after or on the same "on-screen" level of SERP's.
Thus most sponsored listing appear immediately to the users, and in some instances (like Overture) on extremely competitive terms don't have any "free stuff".
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Ummmmmm. . . .once again, my stats show the opposite, meaning that I tend to show more click-throughs on our unpaid listings. It makes me wonder if I'm doing something right with optimization, or doing something wrong with the copywriting on my paid listings!
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Like you I am at a lose (stats do not indicate this) however a possible explanation as stated before depending on the data sources used the results could have a significant margin of error.
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Bottom line: I'm also wondering if anybody else is experiencing the unbelievable, fantastic, incredible feelings that I'm having about paid v. unpaid. I need a reality check: anybody have any comments?
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hmmm... Most advertising complements other adversting channels and rarely do they conflict. I never recommend to anyone - don't use this or that "if they have the budget".
When it comes down to it... the risk of NOT advertising (free or paid) is worse than the risk of any advertising.