Search, particularly paid search, plays an integral role in many performance driven digital campaigns. Engines like Google and Bing are often times the first place a user looks for information as well as the last.
Search, particularly paid search, plays an integral role in many performance driven digital campaigns. Engines like Google and Bing are often times the first place a user looks for information as well as the last.
The solution? Make sure you are present across all major search engines where your audiences frequent. Yet there’s that little problem of budget limitations, CPL goals etc. that get in the way of just slapping up ads across all platforms.
Thus, taking an audience specific approach to search when planning will greatly help to reduce media waste and meet important performance driven goals. As a result, your life and campaign should be made a little better.
Google Search
Google has become the search method of choice across all devices. In some respects, we agree it deserves the honor. 94.53% of all mobile searches and 79.88% of all desktop searches are done via Google.
However, the high usage across this search engine isn’t solely because it is the best thing since sliced bread even though Google would like you to think so. Google has done a fantastic job of integrating its search engine as a default into a staggering number of major devices and platforms (Apple devices, Galaxy tablets, Android devices etc.). Go with the flow tends to work in this regard.
Looking at demo data, Google users tend to parallel the Millennial demographic in that they skew younger (under 35), are tech savvy, college educated, Facebook users, not likely to have children, and are employed in a “white collar” job.
Research points to this younger demo using search engines primarily on a mobile device as well as being inside the top three influential platforms across a variety of purchases – apparel, packaged goods, financial products and big ticket items. We know learning about a product before purchase is highly valued among Millennials.
Bing + Yahoo Search
While the 30% market share Bing + Yahoo represents is much smaller than Google’s, the demo is much different and just as important in terms of spending power.
They skew older in age (35+ with most being in the 55-64 age group). Being that this is the Baby Boomer set, they are thought to be “less tech savvy,” tend to be married and more likely to have children (i.e. your parents). This group is not as Millennial tech savvy but they spend as much time online as they do watching television with the majority of time spent online going toward search. The value of the Boomers is really in their fiscal status as they are the more “affluent group” as compared to other demos.
To put that into context it is estimated that this audience will inherit $13 trillion over the next 20 years. In other words, they have money to spend, are comfortable searching and spending online. Currently this group spends 4 hours a week online shopping so getting in front of this audience group and influencing their purchase is key to driving revenue for you.
For those that are familiar with running search campaigns, dollars spent across Bing + Yahoo are hard to scale and at times have lower conversion rates within some product based verticals. However, we’ve seen services geared towards Baby Boomers out perform or perform on par with Google’s famed Adwords platform.
The search landscape is continuously changing and so will consumer behavior across these areas. For example, we’ve seen a shift in what used to be search engine queries moving towards platforms like Quora or even YouTube. By understanding the “who” you are able to build smarter media plans and reduce media waste. Until next time.
