Tablets Gaining on Mobile Search

Written by Claire Thursday, 21 July 2011 15:53

Earlier this week, Performics announced that mobile now accounts for 12% of all paid search impressions, with tablets now claiming 14% of all mobile impressions. This leap in the tablet share of impressions has made quite an impact, as AdWords now recognizes tablets as its own distinct device within reporting. This allows advertisers to further optimize their campaigns and target specific device groups.

With this new reporting ability, Performics was able to identify that while the majority of tablet impressions come from the Display Network, tablet users are primarily clicking on Google search ads, leaving the display CTRs to suffer. In my opinion, this information creates an internal battle for advertisers who are offering CPC AdWords campaigns on tablet devices. Google’s traditional quality score formula places an emphasis on CTR, which leads to the threat that if advertisers are focusing on display for tablets that their QSs will suffer. However, as we are seeing more and more that display advertising can be very influential for branding purposes, having a low CTR in the Display Network can mean positive brand advertising for very little cost as long as clicks stay nominal.

Having said that, display clicks are expected to be much lower, as the user has no intent when they come across an impression. I say, embrace the tablet in every way possible. The key is to differentiate your ads and campaigns. Use the display network to focus on ads that allow for brand advertising and cementing your name in the user’s mind. In contrast, search should be used for direct response needs—employ the user’s intent with direct calls to action to facilitate the desired response.