Google Search Ads Get Clicked On 2X More Than Organic Results

Sites include Google.com . Published on August 3rd, 2012. Written by Anthony West.

Google made $37 million from AdWords last year and now we can see why. According to data released by software company WordStream, people are now clicking on paid search results more than they are clicking on organic or natural search results. In most cases and for highly competitive commercial keywords this ratio is 2 to 1.

The findings aren’t too surprising because aside from the record revenues posted by Google you can see from your own browsing that paid search results are now more prominent. There are more of them to begin with and the ads are now bigger, bolder and in places that neither the eye nor the finger can miss.

The 2 to 1 click ratio is surely good news for Google but advertisers have been taking a pounding. Cost per click (CPC) rates are up on Google and in many niches, particularly the ones with high commercial intent, a click can cost upwards of $20. That is a lot of money for a click and naturally only big-name companies can afford to pay money for those clicks.

Small business advertisers are now more marginalized in the ad-buying game and will need to find new innovative ways of reaching people on the internet. As for Google and those paid search results; we can expect ads to become even more prominent on a page. Pretty soon the ratio of occupancy for paid versus organic results will be 60/40.