Microsoft Paid Search turns out to be more effective than Google or Yahoo

Posted by Marshall on January 26, 2008 | Link It

Reading about Search Engine Benchmarks: Visit to sale conversion rate where Dennis Mortensen shows that Microsoft Paid Search (AdCenter) is more effective in achieving the goal of the paid ad than Google or Yahoo Paid Search:

"… I found that Microsoft appears to be the best converting Search Engine today!

" …The findings which were exceptionally consistent from web property to web property – consistent as in the order of the engines. I did find that there was a large fluctuation, but in almost every instance the order hold true."

 Did Microsoft finally figure out how to Win?   My guess is - AdCenter, with it's superior targeting capabilities along with the more discerning and goal oriented advertisers - is going to produce a better result than AdWords or Panama.

Filed in PPC


5 Responses

These are the current comments for "Microsoft Paid Search turns out to be more effective than Google or Yahoo"

01/26/08 @ 10:52 am

I completely disagree. It is because of their demographic. Just as with AOL user, MSN are on the less savvy side and way more likely to be a buyer and not a researcher.

It’s a known fact, the newer a person is to the web, the easier they are to convert to a sale. It’s always been that way.



01/26/08 @ 10:57 am

That’s a good point. But read Dennis’s original post - he does account for differences between sites (and demographics) yet overall, comes up with the same findings.



01/26/08 @ 12:45 pm

Hi Jeremy,

Good input! However; (and without debating the used methodology of my study) I would agree with you on a CTR level (Click Through Rate), but all the research I have seen so far (and please do point me in the direction of new findings), indicate that it is harder to get a savvy visitor to click-your-ad but “easier” to convert him when there (he is simply more confident in making a buy) – and actually quite the opposite on both actions on a “new to the web person”

And do keep in mind, that I measured visit-to-sale conversion. There is no cheating on that metric, to qualify as converted, you actually have to BUY something.

so I have disagree on this one. :-)

Cheers

Dennis R. Mortensen, COO at IndexTools
My Web Analytics Blog



01/26/08 @ 12:55 pm

Sorry, I don’t agree with his analysis. Nowhere does he mention the number of visits.

I get great results from AdCenter too. 5 visits, 3 sales…



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