US Search Advertising Trends in Financial Services Report

1. US Search Advertising Trends in
Financial Services
August 2013

2. 1
Contents
Search Advertising Trends for Financial Services on the Yahoo! Bing Network..........................................................2
Executive Overview..................................................................................................................................................................2
More Reasons to Invest More with the Yahoo! Bing Network.........................................................................................3
Key Metrics.................................................................................................................................................................................3
Audience Behaviors.................................................................................................................................................................4
More Reach, Now.......................................................................................................................................................................6
Get the Most Out of Ad Formats ...........................................................................................................................................8
Sitelink Extensions....................................................................................................................................................................8
Content Ads...............................................................................................................................................................................8
Location Extensions.................................................................................................................................................................9
Long Ad Titles...........................................................................................................................................................................9
Rich Ads in Search (RAIS).......................................................................................................................................................9
Search Traffic by Device......................................................................................................................................................... 10
Improve Ad Copy Quality...................................................................................................................................................... 11
Auto Insurance....................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Banks........................................................................................................................................................................................ 13
Credit Cards............................................................................................................................................................................ 14
Health Insurance.................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Optimize with Search Query Trends................................................................................................................................... 16
Banking.................................................................................................................................................................................... 16
Credit Cards............................................................................................................................................................................ 17
Financial Planning................................................................................................................................................................. 18
Mortgage................................................................................................................................................................................ 18
Tax............................................................................................................................................................................................. 19
In Summary............................................................................................................................................................................... 20

3. 2
1 | Microsoft internal marketplace research, US, PC, Yahoo! and Bing owned and operated sites. Excludes same-advertiser brand queries. March 15, 2012, June 15, 2012, Sept 15, 2012, Dec 15, 2012
2 | AdGooroo Special Report, Yahoo! Bing PPC Performance Metrics: What Search Marketers Need to Know About “The Other Search Engine.” March 2013
Search Advertising Trends for Financial
Services on the Yahoo! Bing Network
Executive Overview
Over the last year, Yahoo! and Microsoft have identified a growing need to examine advertiser industry categories, or verticals,
at a deeper level across the Yahoo! Bing Network. We commissioned a large-scale research study to help gauge our relative
strengths and opportunities, providing a foundation to refine our search offering to meet the unique needs of our advertisers.
As a result, there is a greater understanding of the unique challenges Financial Services marketers face, specifically:
• Managing an ecosystem dominated by expensive and narrow category (generic) terms.
• Testing emerging search advertising trends, device and product offerings to optimize for return on investment (ROI).
• Managing digital marketing strategies, tactics and editorial in an ambiguous and changing regulatory climate.
Our internal research shows the average unique queries comprising 80% of spend for Yahoo! managed accounts in
Financial Services is the narrowest of all verticals at 59, while the average cost-per-click (CPC) is the highest among all
verticals.1
One of the key benefits of our network when compared to Google is a significantly lower cost-per-click for
Financial Services.2
To respond to the challenges posed by this ultra-competitive search advertising marketplace for Financial Services,
this report aims to enhance the value of our search advertising offering by providing deeper insight to help you more
effectively manage expensive and narrow category terms.
Report Highlights
Supported by insights from Yahoo! and Microsoft research teams, comScore and others, this report
will help Financial Services marketers discover:
• What insights from third party reports mean for you.
• The unique benefits of the Yahoo! Bing Network.
• How leveraging key ad formats may help increase campaign performance.
• What combination(s) of words or phrases in ad copy contribute to click performance.
• What our finance audience is searching for, leading to a better understanding of consumer
preference and demand trends.

4. 3
More Reasons to Invest More with
the Yahoo! Bing Network
Over the last year, leading bid management software providers have reported improvements
in clicks, spend and budget increases across the Yahoo! Bing Network.
Marin Online Advertising Report, Q4 2012, Kenshoo, March 2013, RKG Digital Marketing Report Q1 2013
“On [the Yahoo! Bing Network], advertisers saw marked
improvement in clicks. On a year-over-year basis,
advertisers saw 25% higher click volumes.
”
“Bing Ads consistently delivers strong paid search return on
investment and, as a result Kenshoo is seeing 35%+ YoY
budget increases across the Yahoo! Bing Network.
”
“Yahoo! Bing Network spend increased 48% Y/Y as the
engine continued to deliver strong impression growth
on expanded keyword to query matching. Ad Clicks
rose 44%.
”
Given that Financial Services operates in a highly competitive marketplace, taking advantage
of an opportunity to increase return on ad spend (ROAS) by maximizing resources first on
Yahoo! Bing Network is recommended as a central pillar in your search advertising strategy.
Key Metrics
In March 2013, AdGooroo released a study, Yahoo! Bing PPC Performance Metrics: What
Search Marketers Need to Know About “The Other Search Engine”, where they examined
paid search performance on the Yahoo! Bing Network and Google AdWords across six
industry verticals during the third quarter of 2012.
The study highlights some key advantages in the Financial Services vertical:
• Lower Cost Per Click. The average cost-per-click (CPC) on the Yahoo! Bing Network
($1.98) was 31% lower than on AdWords ($2.88). This is true of the vast majority of
advertisers included in the study – 76% to 90% of all advertisers – experienced lower
CPC on the Yahoo! Bing Network. However, this is especially favorable news for Financial
Services since keyword lists are narrow and ultra-competitive; the most competitive of
all verticals.3
• Cost Per Thousand Impressions. The average cost per thousand impression on the
Yahoo! Bing Network ($15.26) was 85% lower than on AdWords ($101.76).4
In June 2013, Kenshoo stated:
“With high quality
inventory delivering
strong conversion
rates, the Yahoo! Bing
Network is a must-buy
for marketers. The Yahoo!
Bing Network spend
managed through
Kenshoo has increased
27% year-over-year for
the past three quarters.“
In March 2013, AdGooroo stated:
“There are fewer paid
search competitors
vying for premium ad
positions on [The Yahoo!
Bing Network] than on
AdWords, improving an
advertiser’s chances of
gaining top ad ranking.
Totaling all six verticals
studied, there are 56%
more competitors
for search marketers
to contend with [on
AdWords].“5
3, 4, 5 | AdGooroo Special Report, Yahoo! Bing PPC Performance Metrics: What Search Marketers Need to Know About “The Other Search Engine.” March 2013

5. 4
We conclude from their report that the Yahoo! Bing Network is uniquely positioned to
provide top ad rankings at 68% of the cost for Financial Services advertisers.Given
the high CPC and narrow keyword sets for this vertical, maximizing search efforts on the
Yahoo! Bing Network could help further maximize your return on search ad spend.
Audience Behaviors
For Financial Services marketers, search advertising on the Yahoo! Bing Network connects
you to an audience that actively searches online for financial content6
, including 21 million
business and finance searchers that are not reached on Google.7
In addition to our exclusive audience of 21 million business and financial searches,
comScore reports the Yahoo! Bing Network’s total share of paid clicks at 25%.8
When
we take a closer look at the Business and Finance category, we start to see that the Yahoo!
Bing Network’s share of paid clicks is significantly higher than the network average at the
category and sub-category levels as illustrated below.
The Yahoo! Bing Network Share of Paid Clicks within Business/Finance9
BUSINESS/FINANCE TOTAL 34%
Online Trading 47%
Taxes 47%
Personal Finance 33%
Banking 34%
Financial Information/Advice 35%
To complement the data on share of paid clicks, comScore also reveals our audience’s
propensity to search for, apply for and own various categories of financial products. When
comparing the Yahoo! Bing Network audience to Google, our audience has some striking
strengths across Financial Services.
Mortgages and Real Estate Ownership10
37%
more likely to have bought a residence/property other than primary
in the last 6 months
19% more likely to have searched for an initial home mortgage
12% more likely to have bought a vacation property in the last 6 months
6% more likely to have sold or changed primary residence in the last 6 months
6% more likely to have searched for a second home mortgage
In March 2013, AdGooroo stated:
”With nearly a third of
every U.S. search query
now being conducted
on either Bing or Yahoo!,
committed paid search
advertisers should be
asking themselves a
number of key questions.
Does Google dominate
in every vertical? How do
the engines compare on
clickthrough rate (CTR)
and cost per click (CPC)?
Are the paid search
auctions as competitive
on [the Yahoo! Bing
Network] as on [Google]
AdWords?”11
6, 11 | AdGooroo Special Report, Yahoo! Bing PPC Performance Metrics: What Search Marketers Need to Know About “The Other Search Engine.” March 2013
7 | comScore US qSearch (custom), June 2013
8, 9 | comScore US Core Search (custom), June 2013
10 | comScore US Plan Metrix, April 2013

6. 5
Insurance Products12
20%
more likely to use their mobile device 1-3 times throughout the month to
access insurance content
13% more likely to access insurance content on their mobile device through an app
9% more likely to have applied for life insurance
9% more likely to have applied for health insurance
8% more likely to access insurance content on their mobile device through a browser
7% more likely to use their mobile device to access insurance content in the last month
4% more likely to have searched for home insurance
Credit Cards13
18% more likely to shop online but apply offline for a credit card
8% more likely to own a hotel points credit card
5% more likely to own a credit card that offers points for other travel services
Cash Reserve14
20% more likely to have applied for a money market account
11% more likely to have applied for a checking account
8% more likely to have searched for a checking account
6% more likely to have searched for a savings account
4% more likely to have searched for a high yield savings account
Education Loans15
52% more likely to have applied for an education loan
6% more likely to personally own an education loan
Brokerage, Retirement and Investments16
17% more likely to have applied for a brokerage account
7% more likely to have searched for 401(k)
6% more likely to have searched for a brokerage account

7. 6
More Reach, Now
Although we’ve increased search volume year-over-year, upward of 8.2% across Financial
Services and clicks are up 15.5% across the Yahoo! Bing Network as a whole, unlocking
search volume will continue to remain a key focus for us.17
We know this is going to take
a multi-faceted, long-term strategy and senior leadership at both Yahoo! and Microsoft
are being thoughtful and aggressive to demonstrate this commitment to growth, while at
the same time, delivering value to our customers, partners and advertisers. Below, we’ve
outlined five primary pillars to this strategy across both Yahoo! and Microsoft.
Syndication Partnerships
Yahoo! and Microsoft have strong technology and distribution partners, which helps us
innovate and connect Financial Services marketers to our active audience, delivering
substantial and cost-effective clicks.18
An example of this is our ongoing syndication partnerships with CNBC.com and The Wall
Street Journal Digital Network, a network that includes trusted finance sites such as The Wall
Street Journal, MarketWatch, BigCharts and Barron’s. These sites deliver high quality ad real
estate to advertisers that are opted into the Content Ads match type.
Corporate Partnerships and Acquisitions
On June 10, 2013 at WWDC, Apple announced iOS 7, which brings Bing web search
integration to Siri, Apple’s breakthrough personal assistant, for the first time. Starting this fall
with iOS 7, Bing will power Siri’s new integrated web search on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch.
In addition to Apple, Yahoo! and Microsoft maintain several strategic partnerships that are
instrumental in growing and diversifying the Yahoo! Bing Network.
• Facebook. Bing powers all web search results on Facebook. These results list websites
and content from across the internet, not just from Facebook.
•Nokia. Windows Phone OS exclusively powers all Nokia smartphone devices with Bing
as the default search engine.
• Amazon. Bing is the official default search engine on all Amazon Kindle HD Fire
devices since its launch in 2012.
• Tumblr. Yahoo!’s acquisition of Tumblr. is anticipated to be instrumental in growing and
diversifying the Yahoo! Bing Network.
17 | Microsoft internal data, US Yahoo! and Bing owned and operated sites, comparing January – March 2012 to January – March 2013
18 | AdGooroo Special Report, Yahoo! Bing PPC Performance Metrics: What Search Marketers Need to Know About “The Other Search Engine.” March 2013; comScore US Core Search (custom), March 2013

8. 7
Mobile / Smartphone Partnerships
Yahoo! offers choice with top mobile partners like ATT, Apple, Chitika and NativeX, allowing
advertisers to reach more mobile consumers across the web. In the coming months, Yahoo!
plans to stay laser-focused on building and offering mobile products to help you expand your
audience across the growing mobile landscape.
Devices and Services
There is no bigger daily habit than mobile and Yahoo! is currently the #1 destination for
Finance information on mobile devices. With engaging mobile content, precise mobile
targeting, a host of advanced creative options and the scale to reach millions of mobile users,
Yahoo! is creating effective mobile advertising solutions for Financial Services brands.
On the device front, people are experiencing search as a seamless service, beginning their
search from wherever they are and assuming search will be smart enough to understand the
context of their situation. This evolution in how people interact with their devices is facilitating
the convergence of search across Microsoft’s product footprint, expanding to audiences on
new surface areas such as Windows 8, Windows Phone and the upcoming Xbox ONE.
Distribution Deals
Lastly, Yahoo! maintains distribution partnerships with high quality software providers like
Mozilla, McAfee and AVG to provide broad reach and additional searchers to the Yahoo! Bing
Network.
Through the independent and collective strategies of both Yahoo! and Microsoft, the Yahoo!
Bing Network is expanding its search capabilities and reach to lead a transformative era of new
devices, interfaces and untapped search volume for our advertisers.
.

9. 8
Get the Most Out of Ad Formats
Sitelink Extensions
If there’s one ad format we’re highly recommending advertisers to take advantage of its
Sitelink Extensions. Sitelink Extensions create richer, more relevant search ads by providing
direct access to site content and more utility for searchers. In a recent internal analysis,
Financial Services advertisers experienced an average 23% higher CTR than with standard
text ads, with a lift in CTR ranging from 20% - 30%.19
You can also run Rich Ads in Search
(RAIS) brand campaigns with Sitelink Extensions to drive performance and brand awareness.
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Content Ads
Content Ads give search advertisers a way to easily extend their reach to potential
customers who are browsing websites. They are text ads displayed next to relevant, high-
quality content on Yahoo! and Microsoft websites, and across our network of partner sites.
Bing Ads analyzes the content of a website and matches relevant, keyword-targeted ads to
display on the page.
In January 2013, our research and analytics team performed an internal study on Content
Ads. For Financial Services, this study found that the cost-per-acquisition was 36% lower
than other match types.20
Lower cost-per-acquisition was also seen in the Automotive,
Retail, Travel and Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) verticals. Although performance
will vary across verticals, Content Ads can help advertisers maximize cost-effective clicks,
resulting in lower acquisition costs. If you are new to Content Ads or this match type hasn’t
worked well in the past, it could be a good time to re-test, given these new performance
insights. Yahoo! and Microsoft are constantly striving to improve the quality of our
syndication networks and drive performance through partnerships with high-value finance
sites like The Wall Street Journal and Barron’s.
1. stock market 6. forex currency trading 11. investing stock 16. us news
2. research tool 7. financial news 12. day trade stock 17. investments
3. stock price 8. world news 13. stock chart 18. penny stock newsletters
4. breaking news 9. ETF 14. investment program 19. stock quote
5. stock quotes 10. latest market news 15. stock investing 20. economic news
In order to help you optimize Content Ad campaigns, we’re providing the top
20 impression-generating keywords in finance:
36% lower cost-per-
acquisition than other
match types.
20 - 30% higher CTR
than with standard text
ads.
19 | Microsoft internal data, performance study based upon flight data, January 2013
20 | Microsoft internal study on Content Ads, January 2013. Study only includes accounts with conversion tracking enabled

10. 9
Location Extensions
Location Extensions is an important feature for Financial Services marketers that are
wanting to drive foot traffic to local branches or direct response through a phone call. In a
recent study focused on finance advertisers, ads with Location Extensions saw a 46%
increase in average CTR compared to ads without Location Extensions. And for local
intent queries across all industry categories, Location Extensions saw a 34% increase in
average CTR compared to ads without.21
We are continually updating this ad format with
new types of features such as click-to-call and click-to-directions, so check with your Yahoo!
or Microsoft account team or our online resources to learn more about pilot and upcoming
release dates
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Long Ad Titles
Long Ad Titles can help drive more clicks on top position (mainline) search ads, improving
overall ad performance. Advertisers have experienced over 7% increase in CTR for
mainline Long Ad Titles22
Long ad titles is an industry standard and improves performance without an impact to
pricing. The key to adopting this feature is understanding when and how to optimize
campaigns so your ads serve in the top position (mainline). Your Yahoo! or Microsoft
Search Specialist has advanced tools to help seek-out where these opportunities exist
and are readily available if you’d like to take a deeper look.
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Rich Ads in Search (RAIS)
With high competition and cost-per-click, some Financial Services advertisers have been
able to drive performance through utilization of Rich Ads in Search. RAIS allows advertisers
to increase brand presence through display of images or videos, while securing the entire
top position on Yahoo! and Bing search results pages, which may help increase click-
through rates on your brand terms.
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Over 7% increase in CTR
for mainline Long Ad
Titles.
46% increase in
average CTR.
21 | Microsoft internal data, includes US PC searches for Yahoo! and Bing owned and operated sites, 9/10/12 to 10/6/12 and 10/8/12 to 10/28/12. Considered all ads with extensions on mainline where ad is
displayed as: URL + Location, URL + Location + Phone, URL + Phone
22 | Microsoft internal data, compared to mainline ads without long ad title treatment, 2012

11. 10
Search Traffic by Device
The device market is evolving as consumers and businesses increasingly shift their focus to
touch and mobility. And as expected, search volume is increasing steadily on smartphones
and tablets. Since last year, smartphone searches have more than doubled on the Yahoo!
Bing Network and tablet searches are close behind. Generally, we are seeing smartphone
conversion performance for Financial Services lower than that of tablets and PCs; which
is also in line with Ignition One’s Q2 FY12 report. However, with lower CPC, return on ad
spend could fair higher on mobile campaigns, especially for tablets where Financial Services
engagement in search tends to be higher.
In terms of competition, Google recently announced a change to AdWords, called
Enhanced Campaigns, where campaigns will run across desktop, tablet, and mobile devices,
and the process of campaign management and reporting will be simplified. The Yahoo!
Bing Network understands that an advertiser’s search campaign can be optimized across
devices and through various targeting methods. And that’s why we are committed to
providing advertisers the transparency and device-level control to customize campaigns
to maximize their effectiveness. We are focused on evolving our platform to provide you
with functionality that puts you and your campaigns first, such as reducing friction when
importing AdWords campaigns, especially now that Google has changed how campaigns
are structured.
Mobile Device Searches: As % of Total Search Volume23
Banking 14%
Investing 11%
Financial Planning 9%
Insurance 8%
Financial Services: Searches on
Mobile Devices
2012 20122012 2012
+86%
+113%
Smartphone Tablet
Source: Microsoft internal data, US mobile
devices includes Lo-Fi Phones, Smartphones
and Tablets 2/13/13
23 | Microsoft internal data, includes US mobile searches for Yahoo! and Bing owned and operated and syndicated sites, 2/15/13

12. 11
Improve Ad Copy Quality
While search queries give you a view of recent search trends and themes, other analyses,
such as ad copy quality testing, can fine-tune search campaigns. Last month the Bing Ads
research and analytics team conducted an ad copy analysis across seven sub-verticals
within Financial Services, providing directional suggestions for boosting click-through-rate
(CTR). The team analyzed thousands of ads in each sub-vertical and selected one or two-
word phrases that appeared in ads from at least five distinct advertisers. From this data,
they calculated the ad quality, which takes into consideration the clickability of the ad, in
addition to other signals of ad quality. Ads with higher ad quality benefit from higher CTR,
improved ad ranking and lower CPC.24
Key Observations
• What works well for one category (sub-vertical) may perform poorly for another.
• Dollar signs ($) should be used with caution. They were usually associated with poorer
ad quality, with some exceptions (like health insurance).
• Sitelink Extensions consistently had high impact on ad quality; much higher than any
variable of the ad copy.
• There was variability in the analysis, so the data and recommendations should be
used as a guide, and not a substitute, for performing your own ad copy tests.
Interpreting The Data
The ad quality charts below show one and two-word phrases that appeared in at least ten
ads from at least five different advertisers. Searches on brand names were excluded, and
unless the chart specifically mentions Sitelink Extensions, those were excluded to avoid
skewing the results.
Ads without any of these phrases were used as the baseline or index. When the bar is on
the right of the baseline, it means the phrase, on average, had higher ad quality than ads
that didn’t include any of the phrases in the list. When the bar is on the left of the baseline,
it had lower ad quality.
Without
Sitelink
Extensions
With
Sitelink
Extensions
Effect of Sitelink Extensions
on Ad Copy Quality
in Auto Insurance
+73%
24 | US Ad Copy Quality Research, Microsoft, January 2013. Yahoo! and Bing owned and operated PC traffic
Without
Sitelink
Extensions
With
Sitelink
Extensions
Effect of Sitelink Extensions
on Ad Copy Quality
in Financial Services
+23%

13. 12
Auto Insurance
The term car had a positive impact on ad quality, whether in the ad title or ad description,
and outperformed the term auto. Safe saw positive results in the ad title, whereas fast and
savings had strong lift in the ad description. The term safe in the ad title had especially
strong results when paired with free, fast, quote(s), or auto in the ad description.
Auto Insurance: Ad Title Performance Lift
8%
-6%
18%
-42%
-19%
-47%
-20%
8%
-51%
22%
-8%
-24%
80%
-86%
$
auto
car
coverage
discount
free
get
insurance
keyword
param
quote(s)
rate
safe
save
Auto Insurance: Ad Description Performance Lift
$
%
auto
car
could save
coverage
discount
easy
free
get
insurance
keyword
param
policy
quote(s)
rate
safe
save
savings
6%
4%
7%
91%
24%
-21%
-26%
36%
88%
36%
12%
36%
-62%
-45%
-68%
5%
31%
10%
-4%
61%
Ad Copy Quality, Car vs Auto
Auto
Car
Car
+101%
+35%
Ad Title Ad Description
Auto
Without
Sitelink
Extensions
With
Sitelink
Extensions
Effect of Sitelink Extensions
When Term “Car” is Used
in the Ad Title
+410%
Auto Top Ad Title / Ad
Description Combinations
Rank Title Description
1 Car Safe
2 Car Auto
3 Coverage Coverage
4 {Keyword} Save
5 Insurance Safe

14. 13
Banks
The term savings did not perform particularly well in the ad title or ad description.
However, online and find showed strong ad quality, with online and rate having presence
across several top ad title / ad description combinations.
Banks: Ad Title Performance
$
apply
bank
checking
compare
find
keyword
online
open
param
rate
savings
-57%
18%
-9%
36%
-24%
177%
87%
104%
44%
-13%
112%
2%
Banks: Ad Description Performance
$
%
apply
bank
checking
compare
fee(s)
find
free
mobile
now
online
open
rate
savings
yield
2%
55%
40%
7%
7%
16%
47%
46%
46%
4%
22%
106%
17%
35%
-22%
94%
Banks Top Ad Title / Ad
Description Combinations
Rank Title Description
1 Online Free
2 Rate Find
3 Rate Yield
4 Online Online
5 Rate Online

15. 14
Credit Cards
APR and the dollar sign ($) performed better in the ad description than in the ad title.
Approval, bad credit and fee had very strong ad quality. Even though the percent sign
(%) was not the highest performing variable individually, it held three of the top ad title / ad
description combinations.
Credit Cards: Ad Title Performance
APR
$
%
apply
approval
bad credit
best
cash back
fee
interest
keyword
offer(s)
reward(s)
secured
-8%
-81%
137%
81%
345%
186%
52%
28%
196%
73%
82%
-6%
18%
89%
Credit Cards: Ad Description Performance
APR
$
%
apply
approval
bad credit
best
cash back
compare
fee
find
get approved
interest
offer(s)
reward(s)
secured
54%
221%
52%
24%
125%
163%
6%
30%
13%
207%
-27%
140%
51%
3%
-24%
58%
Credit Cards Top Ad Title / Ad
Description Combinations
Rank Title Description
1 % Approval
2 Approval Approval
3 % Bad Credit
4 % Fee
5 Approval $

16. 15
Health Insurance
In health insurance, the dollar sign ($) experienced positive ad quality, counter to the
performance seen in other categories. Dynamic keyword insertion held four of the top title
/ ad description combinations. When describing costs, the analysis reveals that usage of the
term affordable in the ad title yields positive results while the term savings does not.
Health Insurance: Ad Title Performance
$
affordable
cheap
compare
coverage
exam
health
insurance
keyword
low cost
medical
param
plan
plans
quote
save
savings
64%
153%
61%
10%
75%
200%
50%
41%
44%
70%
79%
42%
79%
77%
44%
65%
-21%
Health Insurance: Ad Description Performance
$
affordable
apply
call
cheap
compare
competitive rates
coverage
exam
fast quote
free info
health
insurance
keyword
learn
low cost
medical
param
plan
plans
quote
save
savings
103%
80%
42%
102%
124%
51%
54%
62%
76%
31%
-24%
38%
42%
75%
42%
98%
91%
272%
63%
63%
67%
78%
-20%
Health Insurance
Top Ad Title / Ad Description
Combinations
Rank Title Description
1 Insurance Low Cost
2 Health {Keyword}
3 Low Cost {Keyword}
4 Insurance {Keyword}
5 {Keyword} Compare

17. 16
Health Insurance: Relative Impact of Cost-Related Ad Copy Variables
Ad Title Ad Description
$
Affordable
Cheap
LowCost
Save
Savings
$
Affordable
Cheap
LowCost
Save
Savings
Optimize with Search Query Trends
Since Financial Services searches tend to be heavily concentrated among a small number of expensive keywords, we’re
providing category-level search query trends to help reveal what our audience is searching for, leading to a better
understanding of consumer preference and demand trends.
While some industries within Financial Services bid more heavily on brand name keywords (for instance, banking and tax),
Financial Services is usually more concentrated in non-brand, high-volume generic keyword usage. Because 75% of paid
clicks for Financial Services go to the ads at the top of the page, it’s important to stay competitive on this narrow set of
keywords.
The search query trends provided below can help enable more effective management of your campaigns and these
keyword categories.
Banking
The two main search terms—bank and banks—drive the majority of non-brand search volume. Brand searches dominate
the banking and credit union categories.
Banks
Bank
CD Rates
Banking
Bank Account
12/01
12/08
12/15
12/22
12/29
01/05
01/12
01/19
01/26
02/02
02/09
02/16
02/23
03/02
03/09
03/16
03/23
Top 5 Banking Searches | Not Including Brand Names
Banks
Bank
CD Rates
Banking
Bank Account
12/01
12/08
12/15
12/22
12/29
01/05
01/12
01/19
01/26
02/02
02/09
02/16
02/23
03/02
03/09
03/16
03/23

18. 17
Brand
Manage Me Account
Generic Banking Services
Locations
CDs
Checking
12/01
12/08
12/15
12/22
12/29
01/05
01/12
01/19
01/26
02/02
02/09
02/16
02/23
03/02
03/09
03/16
03/23
Banking Credit Union Searches by Type
Brand
Manage Me Account
Generic Banking Services
Locations
CDs
Checking
12/01
12/08
12/15
12/22
12/29
01/05
01/12
01/19
01/26
02/02
02/09
02/16
02/23
03/02
03/09
03/16
03/23
Credit Cards
Credit card searches were also largely brand-driven, whether it be the major credit card
companies, their affiliates, or store credit cards.
The manage my account category consists of searches related to servicing an existing
account, such as logging in or paying a bill. Generic credit card search includes searches
for credit cards, rates, and attributes.
12/01
12/08
12/15
12/22
12/29
01/05
01/12
01/19
01/26
02/02
02/09
02/16
02/23
03/02
03/09
03/16
03/23
Credit Card Brand
Manage My Account
Store Credit Card
Generic Credit Card Search
Credit Card Searches by Type
12/01
12/08
12/15
12/22
12/29
01/05
01/12
01/19
01/26
02/02
02/09
02/16
02/23
03/02
03/09
03/16
03/23
Credit Card Brand
Manage My Account
Store Credit Card
Generic Credit Card Search
Top 10 Credit Card Queries | Not Including Brand Names
12/01
12/08
12/15
12/22
12/29
01/05
01/12
01/19
01/26
02/02
02/09
02/16
02/23
03/02
03/09
03/16
03/23
Credit Cards
Credit Card
Credit Cards Bad Credit
Secured Credit Cards
Prepaid Credit Cards
Bad Credit Cards
Secured Credit Card
Apply Credit Cards
Credit Card Offers
Credit Cards Rebuild Credit
12/01
12/08
12/15
12/22
12/29
01/05
01/12
01/19
01/26
02/02
02/09
02/16
02/23
03/02
03/09
03/16
03/23
Credit Cards
Credit Card
Credit Cards Bad Credit
Secured Credit Cards
Prepaid Credit Cards
Bad Credit Cards
Secured Credit Card
Apply Credit Cards
Credit Card Offers
Credit Cards Rebuild Credit

19. 18
Financial Planning
Some financial planning queries showed a consistent spike in searches at the end of each
month, while other searches were more stable.
Investment Services
Financial Advisor
Financial Planning
Portfolio
Investment Management
12/01
12/08
12/15
12/22
12/29
01/05
01/12
01/19
01/26
02/02
02/09
02/16
02/23
03/02
03/09
03/16
03/23
Top 5 Financial Planning Searches | Not Including Brand Names
Investment Services
Financial Advisor
Financial Planning
Portfolio
Investment Management
12/01
12/08
12/15
12/22
12/29
01/05
01/12
01/19
01/26
02/02
02/09
02/16
02/23
03/02
03/09
03/16
03/23
Mortgage
Calculators were popular search terms for mortgage, showing steady searches through
the quarter. Searches that were more directly related to mortgage loans and rate
comparisons have had peaks and valleys, but more recently have flattened.
Searches for reverse mortgages stayed fairly constant, with a small dip during the
holiday week.
Reverse Mortage
Reverse Mortgages
Reverse Mortage Calculator
12/01
12/08
12/15
12/22
12/29
01/05
01/12
01/19
01/26
02/02
02/09
02/16
02/23
03/02
03/09
03/16
03/23
Reverse Mortgage Searches | Not Including Brand Names
Reverse Mortage
Reverse Mortgages
Reverse Mortage Calculator
12/01
12/08
12/15
12/22
12/29
01/05
01/12
01/19
01/26
02/02
02/09
02/16
02/23
03/02
03/09
03/16
03/23

20. 19
Tax
Typically we see two peaks in tax season, one after W2s are sent to employees and a shorter peak immediately before the tax filing
deadline.
In 2013, brand name tax software keywords peaked later in the tax season than in the previous year, but still earlier than other
categories within tax. As tax season progressed, brand name keyword searches declined and searches for IRS and refunds rose.
Searches for accountants were a smaller proportion of the searches when compared to 2012.
Accountant
Brand Name
Filing
IRS
Refunds
Tax Form
1/1/2013
1/3/2013
1/5/2013
1/7/2013
1/9/2013
1/11/2013
1/13/2013
1/15/2013
1/17/2013
1/19/2013
1/21/2013
1/23/2013
1/25/2013
1/27/2013
1/29/2013
1/31/2013
2/2/2013
2/4/2013
2/6/2013
2/8/2013
2/10/2013
2/12/2013
2/14/2013
2/16/2013
2/18/2013
Tax Searches by Type
Accountant
Brand Name
Filing
IRS
Refunds
Tax Form
1/1/2013
1/3/2013
1/5/2013
1/7/2013
1/9/2013
1/11/2013
1/13/2013
1/15/2013
1/17/2013
1/19/2013
1/21/2013
1/23/2013
1/25/2013
1/27/2013
1/29/2013
1/31/2013
2/2/2013
2/4/2013
2/6/2013
2/8/2013
2/10/2013
2/12/2013
2/14/2013
2/16/2013
2/18/2013
Tax Category Searches as a % of All Tax Searches10
Tax Category 2012 2013
Brand Name Tax Software 37.42% 39.71%
IRS 28.09% 29.24%
Refunds 12.46% 14.36%
Tax form 7.96% 7.97%
State 2.62% 2.77%
Filing 1.96% 0.99%
EFTPS 1.36% 1.58%
Accountant 1.47% 0.20%
Calculator 0.88% 0.79%
Generic Tax 1.03% 0.44%
Form Questions 0.82% 0.40%
Tax Category 2012 2013
Tax Tables 0.82% 0.36%
Other 0.66% 0.44%
Online Filing 0.41% 0.28%
Deadline 0.58% 0.06%
Extension 0.28% 0.31%
Planning 0.40% 0.02%
Business 0.29% 0.05%
Audit 0.21% 0.01%
Back Taxes 0.21% 0.01%
Stimulus 0.05% 0.02%
Attorney 0.03% 0.01%

21. 20
In Summary
The beginning of this report highlighted several key objectives or focus areas for Financial Services marketers. Based upon third
party research reports, audience insights from comScore, and Yahoo! and Microsoft internal research, we’ve summarized the
most significant ways for you to drive return on ad spend.
The Yahoo! and Microsoft teams are encouraged by the business intelligence we’re uncovering as a result of our vertical
alignment and we need your help in continuing this momentum. This report is one of many initiatives we’re testing and
we would like to hear your thoughts on how we can refine and improve these resources to make them more meaningful
over time. Please email finservmarketing@microsoft.com if you have feedback or input you would like to share.
Wishing you prosperity in search,
Your partners at Yahoo! and Microsoft
Report Takeaways
• With strong momentum in clicks, budget and conversions, the Yahoo! Bing Network delivers
strong return on ad spend as well as the opportunity to secure top ad ranking in a less competitive
marketplace than Google AdWords.
• Traditional search advertising philosophy pivoted on maximizing resources first on Google and
thereafter allocating remaining and incremental budget to the Yahoo! Bing Network. However, with
substantially lower cost-per-click (CPC) for Financial Services compared to Google, the new imperative
for Financial Services marketers is to start actively advertising on the Yahoo! Bing Network and make it
the first place resources are maximized to drive stronger return on ad spend (ROAS).
• The Yahoo! Bing Network delivers 34% of paid clicks within the business and finance category25
,
as well as 21 million business and finance searchers not reached on Google26
. Share of paid
click details from comScore can help inform shifts in budget. For instance, if a regional bank is
currently allocating 20% of their search advertising budget to the Yahoo! Bing Network, increasing
this budget allocation to roughly 34% (aligned to the bank category’s share of paid clicks via
comScore)27
could maximize return on ad spend.
• Leveraging key ad formats, especially Sitelink Extensions, could help improve click-through-rates and
overall campaign performance.
• Using the Ad Copy Quality and Search Query research provided by the Bing Ads research and
analytics team can help fine-tune search campaigns and may help boost click-through-rates on the
Yahoo! Bing Network.
25, 27 | comScore US Core Search (custom), June 2013
26 | comScore US qSearch (custom), March 2013