Universal Search = Fewer Clicks

ComScore’s James Lamberti reveals the new Google truth: Universal Search means fewer paid clicks.

Google’s latest mission is fairly clear: Reduce the number of clicks while increasing the value of clicks remaining. At first glance it appears disastrous for marketers. Less real estate on which advertise and higher premiums on the space available equals CPC inflation.

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(Photo Credit: ComScore)

And that sounds kind of bad. Google’s philosophy though, is that the fewer clicks will be more relevant, more likely to convert, and therefore more valuable. But the nerves are understandable.

Lamberti posts the results from a one-week-in-January study at the comScore blog. During that period comScore looked at 1.2 billion searches. Of that, 220 million brought up universal results. The black-and-white of it: The more universal results on a page, the fewer paid clicks that happen. With 17 percent universal results, paid clicks declined to 14 percent.

"For the search marketing industry," he writes, "the shift from 17% total universal search results to 14% paid clicks is a vital stat. In other research situations, a move of 3 percentile points is hardly worth mentioning. In the world of search – where decimal points of change move tens of millions in commerce – it’s a big deal."

But also means that organic SEO becomes all the more vital, especially when it comes to video and images. Better, more inclusive results might mean fewer paid clicks, but it also means there’s an opportunity for relevant and free* clicks.

*Free is a relative term, just as we are taught by the "free lunch" adage. Ranking well can be expensive.