Paid versus organic search effectiveness: comparing quantitative and qualitative research

¶ … articles on the topic of sponsored vs. non-sponsored links in search engines. The first of two articles is based on quantitative analysis of whether paid search which includes Google Adwords vs. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is more effective, and the second presents qualitatively-based analysis. Research questions raised and hypotheses are also compared, and while the qualitative article does not specifically state them, they are implied from the organization of the article and the findings presented. Literature reviews are extensive in both articles, as are the theoretical frameworks defined with both articles including a series of analytical measures of performance of paid search vs. Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Paid search is defined as the rapidly growing business model of pay-per-click advertising, which companies bid on specific search terms to achieve prominent Web site placement in search engines (Marketing Leadership Council, 2006,-page 6). The research completed by (Jansen, 2007) delivers a well organized and methodical analysis of how sponsored (or paid) versus non-sponsored (or as it is often referred to, SEO or organic search) varies in terms of achieving a higher level of click-through rate by origination point of link.

Comparing and Contrasting Problem and Purpose Statements

In the case of (Jansen 2006) the problem statement centers on quantitatively measuring the effectiveness of paid or sponsored searches vs. non-paid or organic searches. The researcher defines seven separate research hypotheses, each relating to the context of both paid and non-paid search strategies to quantitively define which is the more effective strategy for gaining greater click-throughs from search engines Google, MSN, and Yahoo. Marketing Leadership Council (2006) doesn't take as structured of a problem and purpose statement, yet instead defines a progression in the study beginning first with the growth in search engine marketing, effectiveness of this approach to marketing, managing search marketing programs, and partnership strategies for search engines. The problem and purpose statements for Marketing Leadership Council (2006) are specifically aimed at the marketing executives who are the primary audience for this research. Conversely (Jansen 2006) is specifically defining their problem and purpose statements from the standpoint of practical strategies that can be quickly implemented. Problem and purpose statements then vary based on the intended audiences each author has in mind when completing their respective analyses.

Designs of the Research Projects

Of the two articles, (Jansen 2006) is the more rigorous in the design of the research project, and includes a thorough methodology that seeks to create both sponsored and non-sponsored links in each of the three search engines included in the project. The methodology also seeks to use software applications for increasing the speed of submitting search terms to search engines. With the variation in search engine algorithms for adding entries to their taxonomies (as defined by Marketing Leadership Council (2006) research), the focus is on accelerating the adoption of individual terms to form a foundation for future analysis of responses. In this regard, the researchers (Jansen 2006) are looking to drive the stimulus that the methodology will be used for quantifying the response.

In contrast, the methodology of the (Marketing Leadership Council 2006) approach has been to focus on a series of secondary research analyses and as is part of the broader Corporate Executive Board methodology, is based on open-ended interviews with a series of marketing executives to see how they are intermediating spending between sponsored and non-sponsored research.

Comparing Research Problems and Hypotheses

The research problem as defined by (Marketing Leadership Council 2006) is more exploratory and focused on providing guidance to Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) on how to allocate spending across their web-based marketing budgets, including a series of benchmark figures from secondary sources. Much of the secondary research is to first define paid search vs. search engine optimization, followed by a series of benchmarks of how companies are spending their online or web marketing budgets.

The hypotheses and research questions from (Jansen 2007) however are much more contextual on the cause-effect relationship of sponsored vs. non-sponsored research that the researcher is initiating in their research design. Specifically focused on the variations of paid search advertising (in the nomenclature of Google, these are called Adwords) by location on the page, the research hypotheses first look at the performance variation in sponsored vs. non-sponsored search, and secondly, in terms of the top-listed vs. side-listed positions possible. There are also questions with regard to the nature of e-commerce queries and the trends in sponsored links that shed light on their effectiveness overall.

Comparing Theoretical Frameworks

Of the two articles, the theoretical framework from (Jansen 2007) is by far more robust and thorough as it includes a series of cause-and-effect relationships that are in turn quantified through multiple iterations of the research methodology. (Jansen 2007) also includes a series of approaches to expediting both sponsored and non-sponsored entries into each search engines' taxonomies for quicker analysis. The researchers have also created a methodology to test and verify through multiple iterations of search terms to verify that both sponsored and non-sponsored research is used the majority of the time for product searches, where content and title of the data matter more than perception of trust online. This is a point each article supports as well.

In terms of a conceptual or theoretical framework in the more qualitatively-based research, the structure is understandably much more nonlinear and less able to replicate at the purely metrically-based approach. Instead, the focus is on having a series of strategic steps for creating a higher level of organic or non-sponsored research results. In this regard the qualitatively-based research effort in fact contradicts the quantitatively-based one.

Summary and Conclusions

The strategies used for accelerating the impact of search terms into the taxonomies of search engines used by (Jansen 2007) and the resulting analysis based on actual web users looking for the results in effect create a microcosm of how companies work to increase their awareness globally through SEM-based marketing approaches. Conversely the methodologies defined by the (Marketing Leadership Council 2006) are more focused on the loosely-defined series of cause-and-effect relationships present in Fairmont Hotels' and Medtronic's results. The combined effects of these two studies shows that while there are variations in the effectiveness of sponsored vs. non-sponsored research, there are significant benefits to be gained from the development of SEM strategies when measured on the accumulated impact on taxonomy entries for each of the three dominant search engines, which is the best measure of long-term effectiveness.