Ad banners make people search

Online display advertising like banners positively affects the way people use search engines, according to new research.

The research, brought out by Yahoo!, examined the connection between display, search and the financial services industry, with Harrisdirect serving as the exclusive partner for the study.

The research shows that display advertising increased the number of relevant searches by more than 61 percent.

Furthermore, clicks on search marketing links, leading directly to Harrisdirect’s destination, increased by 249 percent after a user was exposed to a display advertising campaign.

The study used two groups of users.

A test group of users was exposed to a particular advertising campaign, while the control group was unexposed.

The search behavior of both groups was then examined to determine how the test group responded to the display advertising.

The study focused on three key components of search behavior: relevant search queries, total search clicks, and sponsored search clicks.

"Understanding how our different online campaigns affect one another adds incredible value to these initiatives," said Eric Frenchman, vice president of online advertising, Harrisdirect.

"Some of the most compelling benefits of online advertising are the insights we receive that other advertising mediums do not provide. This research provides an even deeper understanding of how our online advertising campaigns can perform together to maximize the efficiencies of the media buy."

"This research is a first step in understanding how display advertising influences users to click on sponsored search ads,” said Richard Kosinski, category development officer for financial services sales, Yahoo! “Which will ultimately lead to a better user experience and a more effective advertising offering."