• October 17, 2006

Behaviorally targeted ads generally yield better results for marketers when served out of context. That's the finding of a study released Monday by ad network BlueLithium. For the study, BlueLithium looked at 400 million impressions served to users based on the sites they had visited; that is, BlueLithium served entertainment ads to users who previously visited entertainment sites, and finance ads to Web users who previously visited finance sites. Overall, click-through rates were 108 percent higher when they were displayed on a page that wasn't related to the product or service advertised. But that finding varied by category. Users classified as potential business/finance consumers had a 109 percent higher click-through rate for ads served on business/finance pages; users bucketed as entertainment consumers, on the other hand, demonstrated a 92 percent lower click-through rate for ads shown in the same category. Earlier this year, an eye-tracking study by behavioral targeting company Tacoda and Next Century Media also found that consumers appeared to be more interested in behaviorally targeted ads when served out of context. -- Wendy Davis