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What Makes Them Click: Empirical Analysis of Consumer Demand for Search Advertising

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  • Przemyslaw Jeziorski
  • Ilya Segal

Abstract

We study users' responses to sponsored-search advertising using consumer-level data from Microsoft Live. We document that users click ads in a nonsequential order and that the click through rates depend on the identity of competing ads. We estimate a dynamic model of utility-maximizing users that rationalizes these two facts and find that 51 percent more clicks would occur if ads faced no competition. We demonstrate that optimal matching of advertisements to positions raises welfare by 27 percent, and that individual-level targeting raises welfare by 69 percent. Revealing the quality of the advertiser prior to clicking on a sponsored link raises welfare by 1.6 percent. (JEL D12, L86, M37)

Suggested Citation

  • Przemyslaw Jeziorski & Ilya Segal, 2015. "What Makes Them Click: Empirical Analysis of Consumer Demand for Search Advertising," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 7(3), pages 24-53, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:aea:aejmic:v:7:y:2015:i:3:p:24-53
    Note: DOI: 10.1257/mic.20100119
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • D12 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis
    • L86 - Industrial Organization - - Industry Studies: Services - - - Information and Internet Services; Computer Software
    • M37 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Marketing and Advertising - - - Advertising

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    1. What Makes Them Click: Empirical Analysis of Consumer Demand for Search Advertising (AEJ:MI 2015) in ReplicationWiki

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