Online display advertising is an important consideration as part of a media mix. Online display advertising provides an exciting array of targeting and messaging opportunities and takes advantage of the fact that people are spending more and more time online.
A key takeaway from a study carried out in January 2009 on online display advertising and search engine marketing exposed that online display advertising is an effective channel on its own. However, its power improves substantially when paired with search engine marketing.
The Relationship Between Search and Online Display Advertising
Below are findings that demonstrate the relationship between search and online display advertising, substantiating how and why the two should be used in conjunction with one another.
More than half of Internet users (52%) actively respond to online display advertising. This response demonstrates that online display advertising effectively facilitates interaction with a product. Almost a third (31%) respond by clicking on the ad itself.
Almost as many Internet users react to online display advertising by performing a search on a search engine (27%) as those who click on the ad (31%). This finding highlights the symbiotic relationship between the two channels. Search engine marketing boosts display effectiveness. If marketers invest in online display, they must ensure visibility in search results. Otherwise, consumers may not take their brand seriously.
Brand Awareness and Purchase Behavior
Internet users are more likely to engage with and eventually purchase from brands they recognize. One-third of Internet users (33%) who respond to online display advertising eventually purchase from a familiar company. This figure is more than twice the number of those who purchase after discovering a company for the first time through online display advertising (14%).
Nearly four in ten Internet users (38%) who respond to online display advertising learn about a brand for the first time through such ads. This finding validates display advertising as a viable channel for building brand awareness.
The Role of Search Engine Marketing
Marketers should invest in search presence since 27% of Internet users perform a search as their initial response to an online display ad. Online display advertising helps create demand, and search engine marketing captures it.
Failing to appear in search results presents risks. If a brand is missing in search results, potential customers may think less of it. A survey revealed that 39% of online users attribute brand equity to companies appearing at the top of search results. This phenomenon is known as the brand halo effect.
Additionally, if a brand is absent in search results, it may lose potential conversions to competitors. Marketers must ensure their website appears in search results to capitalize on the demand created by their online display advertising. Otherwise, they risk directing 27% of potential customers to competitors.
To prevent this, marketers should integrate paid and organic search engine marketing campaigns. These campaigns should target the keywords and messaging used in display ads. Doing so positions them to capture search intent and ensures consistency in messaging across both channels.
Attribution Modeling for Better Results
To accurately assess the effectiveness of online display advertising and search engine marketing, marketers must invest in attribution modeling. This process helps assign credit to various channels contributing to a sale.
Direct Navigation and Online Display Advertising
Online display advertising also has a direct relationship with direct website navigation. About 21% of Internet users respond to online display ads by directly typing the company’s web address into their browser. This insight highlights the importance of having an intuitive domain name, such as Mercedes.com or Staples.com.
If a domain name is not intuitive, marketers risk missing out on potential traffic. To mitigate this, they should secure intuitive domains. If securing an intuitive domain is not possible, they must ensure their website appears in search results for common misspellings and variations. Additionally, they should buy these keywords in paid search campaigns. Conducting focus groups can help uncover domain names that resonate with customers.
Social Media’s Role in Online Display Advertising
Social media represents an alternative advertising method for Internet users. About 9% of users respond to online display advertising by turning to social media. This behavior presents both risks and opportunities for marketers.
Marketers should invest in online reputation management to maintain a positive presence in social media environments. They should also actively engage in social media conversations and populate these platforms with authentic, favorable, and useful content.
The Investment in Online Display Advertising
The findings strongly support investing in online display advertising for both direct sales and brand awareness.
Renowned brands that are leaders in their categories or invest in traditional mass media should use online display as a direct response channel. This approach helps capture the percentage of Internet users who respond to online display ads and eventually purchase from familiar brands (33%).
Lesser-known brands or those without significant traditional media investments should focus on educational and branding campaigns rather than direct response strategies. Doing so allows them to reach the 38% of Internet users who respond to online display ads and discover a brand for the first time. Since consumers are more likely to purchase from brands they recognize, display advertising helps shorten the buying cycle.
Supporting Online Display with Search
Given the strong synergy between online display advertising and search, marketers investing in online display must also invest in search engine marketing. This includes running paid and organic search campaigns targeting the same keywords and messaging used in display ads.
Additionally, latency plays a role in search behavior. While 27% of users search immediately after seeing an ad, 49% eventually search after exposure to an online display ad. Marketers who fail to integrate search marketing risk missing nearly half of potential website visitors.
About Psycray
Founded in 2001, Psycray helps organizations maximize online ROI and market reach through services like:
- Natural search engine optimization
- Paid search advertising management
- Online display advertising
- Paid inclusion management
- Shopping feed management
- Global search engine marketing
- Web analytics & attribution modeling
- Reputation management
By improving business results for clients, Psycray helps create search marketing success stories every day.
For more insights on digital marketing strategies, visit Search Engine Journal and Google Ads Help.rketing, Web analytics/attribution modeling, reputation management, and other related services. By dramatically increasing business results for clients, Psycray helps to create search marketing heroes every day.