4 ms·

Side question: would you click on the ad or on the organic search result? Why?

dvirsky 10y ago
I'm clicking the ad! If someone went through the trouble and payed for putting their website above their website, I'll make sure that their ad budget is well spent! /s
davemel37 10y ago
Believe it or not, even in 2016, even with the ad label, there are still plenty of people who have no idea that there is a difference between the paid and organic listings... They just go to Google and click on a link with a snippet that speaks to them. Personally, as a search marketer, I always assume that someone willing to pay money to reach me probably has a more relevant offering and experience for me, so I am slightly biased to click on ads... Your question should really be more nuanced. Are you talking about navigational searches, informational searches, or transactional searches. There is different intent and context with how and why people search at different times which probably results in different behavior. For example, an informational search from me almost never clicks on an ad but either knowledge graph or a link half way down the page. A transactional search will almost always go to a paid ad, and a navigational search will likely go to the organic listing that points to that page...unless the ad points to that specific page. (this is just my own experience.)
- jackgolding 10y ago
  Also for SAAS products on branded terms you are more likely to get a better new customer experience on a tailored landed page than the homepage (for some businesses anyway.) I agree with informational search, I think that clicking on an ad will put me lower in their sales funnel which means more annoying popups and remarketing.
kentt 10y ago
A lot of people don't know, pay attention, or care enough.
20after4 10y ago
If it's a company I like then I click the organic listing. On the other hand, if it's an ad for someone who needs the money less than google does then I do my part and donate to the google foundation.
dasmoth 10y ago
Organic, always. No desire to encourage advertising. (Yes, I'd be willing to pay a modest subscription if Google got out of the advertising business. No, I doubt this pledge will ever be put to the test...)
- mahranch 10y ago
  > I'd be willing to pay a modest subscription if Google got out of the advertising business That would be like asking Ford to get out of the automotive business. Something like 94% of Google's revenue comes from their advertising division. More importantly, I wish people would stop pitching the subscription model when it comes to alternatives to advertising. Study after study, after real world example, after real world example has shown that subscription models just don't work. Period. Sure, you may have one or 2 rare exceptions where a site didn't crash and burn but the overwhelming majority of sites that have tried it have fallen hard. And the ones that saw success only saw very tepid success. It's a model that just doesn't work.
- paulcole 10y ago
  Here you go: https://www.google.com/contributor/welcome/ https://www.google.com/contributor/welcome/ Please let us know the amount you contributed.
  - dasmoth 10y ago
    "Not yet available in your country". (Although there's a "waitlist" button now which I don't remember from when this first appeared, so thanks for getting me to take another look). Note, also, that "fewer adverts" isn't the same as "Google out of the advertising business"! Although, in practice, I probably would pay for the former as well if it were an option.

I'm clicking the ad! If someone went through the trouble and payed for putting their website above their website, I'll make sure that their ad budget is well spent! /s

davemel37 10y ago

Believe it or not, even in 2016, even with the ad label, there are still plenty of people who have no idea that there is a difference between the paid and organic listings... They just go to Google and click on a link with a snippet that speaks to them. Personally, as a search marketer, I always assume that someone willing to pay money to reach me probably has a more relevant offering and experience for me, so I am slightly biased to click on ads... Your question should really be more nuanced. Are you talking about navigational searches, informational searches, or transactional searches. There is different intent and context with how and why people search at different times which probably results in different behavior. For example, an informational search from me almost never clicks on an ad but either knowledge graph or a link half way down the page. A transactional search will almost always go to a paid ad, and a navigational search will likely go to the organic listing that points to that page...unless the ad points to that specific page. (this is just my own experience.)

jackgolding 10y ago
Also for SAAS products on branded terms you are more likely to get a better new customer experience on a tailored landed page than the homepage (for some businesses anyway.) I agree with informational search, I think that clicking on an ad will put me lower in their sales funnel which means more annoying popups and remarketing.

kentt 10y ago

A lot of people don't know, pay attention, or care enough.

20after4 10y ago

If it's a company I like then I click the organic listing. On the other hand, if it's an ad for someone who needs the money less than google does then I do my part and donate to the google foundation.

dasmoth 10y ago

Organic, always. No desire to encourage advertising. (Yes, I'd be willing to pay a modest subscription if Google got out of the advertising business. No, I doubt this pledge will ever be put to the test...)

mahranch 10y ago
> I'd be willing to pay a modest subscription if Google got out of the advertising business That would be like asking Ford to get out of the automotive business. Something like 94% of Google's revenue comes from their advertising division. More importantly, I wish people would stop pitching the subscription model when it comes to alternatives to advertising. Study after study, after real world example, after real world example has shown that subscription models just don't work. Period. Sure, you may have one or 2 rare exceptions where a site didn't crash and burn but the overwhelming majority of sites that have tried it have fallen hard. And the ones that saw success only saw very tepid success. It's a model that just doesn't work.
paulcole 10y ago
Here you go: https://www.google.com/contributor/welcome/ https://www.google.com/contributor/welcome/ Please let us know the amount you contributed.
- dasmoth 10y ago
  "Not yet available in your country". (Although there's a "waitlist" button now which I don't remember from when this first appeared, so thanks for getting me to take another look). Note, also, that "fewer adverts" isn't the same as "Google out of the advertising business"! Although, in practice, I probably would pay for the former as well if it were an option.