Google’s Chief Economist Dan Friedman Hal Varian and his team have conducted research on whether ad position affects conversion rate. Their conclusion is that it doesn’t much. I have a feeling “much” is subjective among SEMs.
Their research showed that for search results pages with 11 sponsored ads, conversion rates “only” varied 5% from first place to last. So, if an ad gets a 1% conversion rate in the first place, the worst it would get is 0.95%.
Friedman Varian wanted to emphasize that ad position is affected by ad quality. Therefore, ads with higher ad position are likely better quality and more likely to have higher conversion rates. In other words, don’t compare apples to oranges when testing ad position. You would need to test the same ad across various positions.
What do you think of Friedman’s Varian’s research on the correlation between conversion rate and ad position? Do you agree with his findings? Should a 5% variance really be considered low? Tell us your thoughts in the comments. (Comment position is first-come, first-served.)
Related reading
Four tools to build a smarter and more up-to-date in-house marketing team
The SEO community has been fighting with low-quality, outdated and simply incorrect content for ages. How to educate yourself as well as your team in this abyss of misinformation? Here are four tools that can help solve these problems.
The best SEO influencers and resources to follow
The SEO industry has spawned a vast array of influencers, dispensing invaluable insights that businesses can apply to their own strategies. With luminaries like Rand Fishkin, Danny Sullivan and Matt McGee announcing their departures from the scene in the near future, who should SEOs follow for advice and best practices? Here are some of the best experts and resources in the industry right now.
How to escape Google’s filter bubble
Over the years, Google has greatly increased the extent to which it tailors results to the user, with the aim of improving accuracy and relevance. While this can be helpful and convenient, many users find it disturbing - or unhelpful to their efforts in getting their site found by a wider audience. Here, we look at how, as a user, you can escape Google's filter bubble - and as an SEO, how you can penetrate it.
7 things to consider when choosing an ecommerce platform
With ecommerce growing rapidly year-on-year, it's essential for online retailers to have the right technology to underpin their strategy. But with so many platforms now available, how can you tell which one is right for your business?
