• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, August 11, 2006

comScore Media Metrix introduced "Competitive Search Marketing Reports" by examining the effectiveness of search campaigns conducted by the most-visited online travel agencies. The analysis showed that more than 50 percent of the total click-throughs to these sites were generated by sponsored ads, compared to just 11 percent across all Web search activity.

Among the sites analyzed, Orbitz.com and CheapTickets.com led the pack, each receiving approximately 72 percent of click-throughs from sponsored ads.

Peter Daboll, president and CEO of comScore Media Metrix, said "With search advertising accounting for roughly 40 percent of total online spending... advertisers view the medium as a critical component of the advertising mix... (making it) ...important for advertisers to focus on the search terms that have the most relevance to their target audience."

comScore's analysis revealed that Yahoo! was the preferred engine for sponsored ad campaigns among the most-visited online travel agency sites in April, receiving nearly 44 percent of the sponsored ads placed by these sites.

The report examined the non-travel (and travel) sites that were popular among consumers whose search behavior ultimately led them to online travel agency Web sites. These consumers were more likely than the norm to visit a variety of non-travel sites, including those offering local content and wedding sites.

Note: Index is the propensity of consumers conducting travel-related searches to visit a site compared to the average Internet user. An index of 100 represents parity.

Consumers conducting online travel-related searches are more likely than the norm to be from higher income households without children, and to conduct their searches from work:

• Households with an income of more than $100,000 are 10 percent more likely than average to conduct a search on travel terms, while households with an income of $75,000 - 99,000 are 3 percent more likely to do so.
• Households with one member are 7 percent more likely to conduct a search on travel terms, while households with two members are 5 percent more likely to conduct travel searches.
• In households where children are not present, consumers are 6 percent more likely to conduct a search on travel-related terms.
• Consumers in the 25-34 and 55-64 age ranges are more likely to conduct travel-related searches (2 and 4 percent, respectively).
• Consumers are 23 percent more likely conduct travel-related searches while at work.

For more information on the Report and the comScore service, please go here.