Adobe released its Q4 advertising results – paid search is on a decline. The growth down 75% year over year. This is not good news for marketers who are highly dependent on Google’s paid channel for new acquisition and traffic.
The slow growth rate could be a factor of consumer shift to smartphone devices, according to the report marketers are willing to spend more dollars on mobile search.
Some of the other key takeaways from the report are as below:
For Paid Search
– Both Google and Bing showed slower growth
– Phone based CPC are 24 % lower than desktops, CTRs 40% higher
– During the Thanksgiving weekend paid search drove 10% more revenue than direct traffic
For Display
– Display is more effective to drive traffic but at a cost
– Facebook continues to improve relevancy CTRs up 30 % YOY
– Google inches closer to Facebook’s reach on display networks