benchmarking CTRs between display, search, social

1. Display vs Search vs Social
CTR Benchmark Comparison
Dr. Augustine Fou
http://linkd.in/augustinefou
March 2013
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2. Digital Ads Landscape
Search Display Social
Ads are based on Display ads are Display ads with
keyword typed by served next to massive number
user, served at the content that the of impressions;
moment they are user is interested “Junk” quality
looking for info. in; portals to and super-low
vertical content to prices and CTRs
ad networks
CTR 1-10% 0.01 - 0.1% 0.001-0.01%
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3. Search Ads
Detail
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4. Users click on natural results
Most users
click on
natural search
results
15-25% of clicks Natural results
1-9% avg CTRs have 10x the
click through
rate of paid ads
75-85% of clicks
13-21% avg CTRs
Source: go-Digital Blog, July 2012
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5. Paid Search CTRs
Source: Chitika, 2009 Source: Chitika, 2012
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6. Marketing Spend is Out of Whack
Clicks from organic search (SEO) account for 90% of all
clicks; yet budgets for SEO only account for 10% of the
search spending.
Source: SEMPO
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7. Optimizing Search
Paid/ SEM Organic
For long For brand terms
tail, descriptive and expensive
keywords keywords
CTR 1 - 5% 13 - 21%
CPC $1 - $10 FREE
Source: SlingShot SEO
Shift allocation to get more clicks at lower cost
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8. Display Ads
Detail
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9. Display Ad CTRs by Type
Vertical content sites and the CTRs they command
Source: MediaMind, April 2011
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10. Optimizing Display
Big Portals Ad Networks Facebook
Large audience Lots of long-tail Massive number of
small websites impressions
Publisher/portal
has more power Advertiser has “Junk” quality and
more power super-low prices
CPM 10’s of dollars 1’s of dollars 10’s of cents
CTR 0.1% 0.01% 0.001%
Shift allocation to get more impressions or lower cost
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11. Social Ads
Detail
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12. Facebook Benchmarks
Source: WebTrends, January 2011
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13. Dr. Augustine Fou – Agency Czar
“I advise clients on optimizing their
marketing mix – from traditional to
digital, and within digital from
display to search to performance.”
FORMER CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER, HCG (OMNICOM)
MCKINSEY CONSULTANT
CLIENT SIDE / AGENCY SIDE EXPERIENCE
PROFESSOR AND COLUMNIST
ENTREPRENEUR / SMALL BUSINESS OWNER
PHD MATERIALS SCIENCE (MIT '95) AT AGE 23
ClickZ Articles: http://www.clickz.com/author/1151/augustine-fou
Slideshares: http://www.slideshare.net/augustinefou
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/augustinefou
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