Individual research study analysis and methodology

¶ … 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 Literature Reviews

In both articles, the literature reviews are thorough and very well organized. Starting with (Jansen 2007) the depth of literature review to the cause -- and effect level of the analysis is impressive. The researchers who completed the analysis in this article have found many references to research that refute their claim, that sponsored search is more effective. In fact the secondary research and open-ended discussions completed by the Marketing Leadership Council (2006) are exactly the opposite of the findings of (Jansen 2007). Of the two, the latter has created a bibliography that supports how contextually-driven sponsored search is relative to non-sponsored research, showing that search engine results page (SERP) is an accurate metric for evaluating the effectiveness of each phase of the researchers' methodology. The literature review from the (Marketing Leadership Council 2006) shows in Table III a series of common metrics for measuring Search Engine Marketing (SEM) efforts. Included in this set of metrics are conversion rate, cost per order, cost per action, return on advertising spend (ROS), and return on investment (ROI). In the area of metrics or key performance indicators (KPIs), both studies' literature reviews have sufficient coverage to be practical to the reader who will actually have to implement a search strategy online for their companies.

One of the stronger aspects of the (Marketing Leadership Council 2006) research is the actual case studies from Fairmont Hotels and Medtronic, while the (Jansen 2007) research does not specifically include practical case studies for use by practitioners relying on their research. What is prescriptive about the Fairmont Hotels case analysis specifically are the four steps that the hotel chain took to optimize their SEM strategies (page 13). The focus on being able to create brand awareness is shown graphically in the case study as well (page 14). Integrating SEM efforts across specialist teams, product and regional groups is one of the most valuable practical concepts presented in the (Marketing Leadership Council 2006) research (page 15). In summary, both papers excel in their literature reviews, including an ample set of references for future reading.

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.