Not only is search engine sponsored links and contextually targeted advertising benefical for high returns on investments, conversions, and sales figures – but today a study released proves that search engine advertising is a branding boost.
ClickZ reports in the article Search-Style Ads Lift Brand Awareness, Study Says:
The study was done online with more than 10,500 participants using a controlled experimental design. It measured the brand impact of sponsored and contextual listings in the health, auto, beverage, electronics, retail and finance industries.
On average, respondents were 27 percent more likely to name a specific brand if it was in the top spot on the search results page, according to the study. Contextual listings — text ads on non-search pages — caused a 23 percent lift among respondents.
Placement was a key element. Ads in the top position on the search results page increased an aggregate of all the brand metrics by an average of 14 percent across the six industries. The effect fell dramatically as rankings went lower, the study found. For example, ads in the fifth position showed only a minor directional lift.
The IAB/Nielsen survey’s results add a new dimension to paid text listings. Sponsored listings and contextual advertising, sold on a cost-per-click basis, are usually not considered to be branding vehicles. By contrast, display ads, sold on a cost-per-impression basis, are considered major elements of online branding.
