Combining Search and Display Advertising

A synergy made in heaven, or somewhere near there

Synergy.

You’ve probably heard that term so much in the past that today it makes you roll your eyes. It makes you think of big traditional media companies gobbling up new media companies, of gushing CEOs who, amid warm grins and back-slaps, promise an information-rich future that makes the Jetsons look like the Flintstones. And then, a year or two later, the new media company is quietly sold when the alleged “synergies” turn out to feel more like sandpaper.

But let’s not throw the literal baby out with the metaphoric bath water. Synergy–that is, when two or more agents act together to create a more powerful effect–can also be an effective strategy advertising strategy. You can create effective synergy by combining online search advertising with display advertising, according to a recent Yahoo!-sponsored study by comScore Networks, entitled, “Close the Loop: Understanding the Synergy Between Search and Display Advertising.”

The study shows that campaigns that take advantage of both search and online display advertising are more engaging than single medium campaigns. A lot more engaging.

In the study, online users who were exposed to both search and display advertising increased their share of page views relative to competitive sites by 68 percent, and increased time on site by 66 percent. Moreover, among those exposed to both search and display ads, purchases of advertiser’s products increased by 244 percent online and 89 percent offline.  Furthermore, exposure to display advertising increased trademark term searches by an average of 26 percent during a campaign. That’s pretty synergistic, if you ask us.

If you want to be really successful in this business, you’ll want to work both sides of the street, plus the alleys and the street corners. You’ll want to get your message–your consistent strategic message–to appear in as many place that make sense to your audience and for your offering.

For more info on this study, visit Yahoo! Media Relations.

Incidentally, our sister blog over at Yahoo! Publisher Network is running a series on low-cost traffic drivers for web publishers that you may also find useful. In the first installment you’ll find a number of common sense tips for getting potential customers to your site using synergistic advertising tactics. We’ll keep you abreast of new installments in the series. 

—Michael Mattis