• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, June 26, 2009

According to the iProspect Search Engine Marketing and Online Display Advertising Integration Study, almost as many Internet users who visit an ad-supported website initially respond to online display advertising by performing a search on a search engine as those who respond by directly clicking on an ad. In addition, the study shows that nearly half of Internet users who respond to online display advertising eventually perform a search related to the ad to which they were exposed.

US Internet Users Visiting Ad-Supported Website & Viewed Promotional Advertising (% of Respondents 18+ in Previous Six Months)
Behavior	% of Respondents
Clicked on ad	31%
Searched for product, brand or company using search engine	27
Navigated to company web site	21
Investigated through social media	9
Haven't responded to ads	37
Source: iProspect Study/ Forrester Consulting, May 2009

The relationship between search engine marketing and online display advertising has a closer relationship than many marketers may have thought. The study shows that Internet users initially respond to the medium as follows:

• 31% respond by directly clicking on an ad
• 27% respond by searching for the product, brand, or company by launching a search on a search engine
• 21% respond by typing the company Web address into their browser and directly navigating to the website
• 9% respond by investigating the product, brand, or company through social media venues
• Overall, 52% of Internet users actively respond to online display advertising

Robert Murray, CEO, iProspect, says "The key message from this study is that online display advertising is far from dead... as many people initially respond to display ads by performing a search as those who actually click on an ad... (marketers) should consider search as a form of insurance for their display investment."

But beyond Internet users' initial response to online display advertising, the study also reveals some interesting findings when the latency element is taken into consideration. When asked how they eventually respond, nearly half of Internet users who respond to online display ads launch a search on a search engine for the company, product, or brand that was the focus of the ad to which they were exposed. This figure is comprised of those who eventually perform a search and visit the website from the search results, those who do the same but actually purchase the product, and those who perform a search but do not click on any of the results.

US Internet Users Visiting Ad-Supported Web Site and Viewed Promotional Ads (% of Respondents)
Behavior	% of Respondents
Performed search & purchased product	14%
Performed search & visited site	38
Performed search but no further	11
Haven't responded to ads	28
Source: Source: iProspect Study/ Forrester Consulting, May 2009

Misty Locke, President, Range Online Media, and Chief Strategy Officer, iProspect, says "... this finding underscores the close relationship between search and online display advertising... it speaks to the power of display to drive search, and it demonstrates search's ability to boost the effectiveness of display.

Other key findings from the study include:

• 33% of Internet users who respond to online display advertising eventually purchase from a company/offering with which they are familiar - more than twice the number who eventually purchase after learning of an offering/company for the first time from online display advertising
• 38% who respond to online display advertising learn about a brand for the first time as a result of their exposure to this type of ad.
• 9% of Internet users who respond to online display advertising initially respond by investigating the product, brand, or company through social media venues or message boards

Murray concludes that "... the findings tell a story of improved efficacy... a message... particularly compelling during these trying economic times when marketers are being asked to do more with less."

For additional information, please visit iProspect here.