Evolution of Google SERPs and User Interaction

THE EVOLUTION OF GOOGLE SEARCH RESULTS PAGES
& THEIR EFFECTS ON USER BEHAVIOUR
An eye-tracking study by

TABLE OF CONTENTS
03 - INTRODUCTION
04 - STUDY OVERVIEW
Methodology and goals
06 - COMPARATIVE VIEW
2005 vs. 2014 Google SERPs
11 - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
What we learned and what this means to you
20 - DEEP DIVE
The new SERP elements
58 - METRICS
What’s changed and what’s still valuable
60 - IMPACT ON BUSINESSES
National advertisers, location-based
businesses, and online publishers
72 - INDUSTRY BENCHMARKS
Average click-through rates per SERP element
77 - APPENDIX
Project contributors and more about Mediative

INTRODUCTION
3
Google SERPs have greatly evolved over the last decade, and as a result, so have the ways in which searchers have been conditioned to behave.
Organic listings have been a longstanding KPI for online marketers. In 2014, however, new Google SERP elements are shifting priorities and driving changes in strategy. In a nutshell: it’s not always about getting the #1 Google ranking anymore.
User intent, relevant content, brand power, paid vs. organic results, an ever-changing algorithm…all are pieces of an increasingly complex puzzle. The goal of this research? To help you improve your odds of being seen—and clicked on—by the right audience.
The acronym “SERP” is used throughout this study,
and refers to “Search Engine Results Page”.

*Although we had a very small sample size when it
comes to click-through rates, we felt that it would be
instructive to look at clicks and how they’re distributed
across the different elements of the SERP.
4
HOW THIS STUDY
WAS CONDUCTED
53
participants
Mixed age
and gender
43
search tasks
Conducted
on a desktop
Used Google
search engine
AOI
Areas of Interest
Metrics measured:
• Time to first look
• Time spent looking
• % of participants
looking
• Number of clicks*
Example search task:
“Imagine you are moving from Toronto to Vancouver
and are looking for an apartment. Use Google to find
apartments for rent.”
3-PACK
LOCAL LISTINGS
SIDE-SPONSORED
LISTINGS
SIDE-MAP
ORGANIC
LISTINGS

Where on the SERP
do searchers look
and click the most?
How important is the location of a listing to win views and clicks from searchers?
How does the complex SERP affect your strategy to be found and seen by your potential customers?
How has click activity per listing position changed with the introduction of Google’s new SERP elements?
5
WHAT WE WANTED TO KNOW

COMPARATIVE VIEW

2005
vs.
2014
7
Google’s algorithm
and search results pages have changed significantly since 2005.
This means people have changed the way they
look at, and click on,
the results.
THE EVOLUTION
OF GOOGLE SERPs

8
TYPICAL 2005
GOOGLE SERP
LOCAL LISTINGS
RIGHT RAIL MAP
CAROUSEL
PAID LISTINGS
KNOWLEDGE GRAPH
NEWS AUTHORED
BLOG POSTS
THUMBNAIL IMAGES
STAR RATINGS
2005
2014
GOOGLE SERPS: 2005 VS. 2014

The Golden Triangle is an area of concentrated gaze activity at the top- left corner of a search results page.
The 2005 study* revealed that, generally speaking, if your listing was not in the Golden Triangle, your odds of being seen by a searcher were dramatically reduced.
* The Golden Triangle was first discovered by Enquiro in a ground- breaking 2005 study, “Google Eye Tracking Report: How Searchers See and Click on Google Search Results” which can be downloaded here: mdv.to/YwdG9v. Enquiro became part of Mediative in October 2010.
9
Δ As with all the relative heat maps presented in this study, the red areas are those where participants spent the most amount of time looking as a percentage of the total time they looked at the page, followed by yellow, then green.
2005:
THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE

10
Google keeps adding various elements to its search results page. These new SERP elements, depending on how relevant they are to the intent of the searcher, can cause a different search pattern. As a result, the highly coveted Google Triangle no longer always exists in 2014.
Δ The #1 organic result in no longer always in the top left corner, so we see initial gaze drift down to other SERP elements.
2014:
NEW SERP HEAT MAPS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

2
1
In 2014, searchers look outside the Golden Triangle because…
Top organic results are no longer always in the top-left corner so users look elsewhere to find them.
Mobile devices have habitually conditioned searchers to scan vertically more than horizontally. Searchers are looking for the fastest path to the desired content.
12
WHAT WE LEARNED
Δ The distinct triangle shape is not visible because searchers are scanning vertically more than they are reading horizontally.

2
1
SEO strategy is no longer a one-size- fits-all approach.
Paid search can give your brand views and attention just like a display ad, even if not necessarily garnering clicks.
13
WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU
A combination of SEO and paid search can maximize your visibility in SERP areas that have the biggest impact on both branding and traffic.

2
1
In 2014, searchers spend their time differently
on SERPs.
People are viewing more search results listings during a single session and spending less time viewing each one.
Now, searchers spend just over 1.17 seconds viewing each listing. In 2005, it was just under 2 seconds.
14
WHAT WE LEARNED
Δ The average user scanned more listings in 2014 vs. 2005 before making a click, but spent less time looking at each listing.

2
1
Keywords, meta descriptions, content, ratings and reviews are all tactics that must be used to align with scan behaviour.
Proper code mark-up (i.e. schema) should be used wherever possible—it is one of the most under-used, yet highly effective SEO tools that helps the engines crawl, index and rank a site’s content.
15
The key for organic and sponsored positioning success is to front-load relevant content and text—while always keeping the user’s intent
top of mind.

Google search is used at some point in almost every purchase decision process. As a business, you have just over 1 second to capture your customers’ attention, so your content better be relevant.
“
”
Rebecca Maynes,
Marketing Strategist, Mediative
16

2
1
Prime real estate
on SERPs has migrated.
Businesses that are positioned lower on the SERP (especially positions 2-4) see more click activity than they did several years ago, making this real estate much more valuable.
The #1 Organic Listing still captures the most click activity (32.8%), regardless of what new elements are presented.
17
Δ The #1 Organic Listing is shifting further down the page, opening up the top of the page with more potential areas for businesses to achieve visibility.
WHAT WE LEARNED

2
1
The importance of your business being the first listing vs. on the first page is highly dependent on the searcher’s intent, plus the strength of your brand.
The top organic spot can be difficult to obtain, especially for businesses that are competing with big brands where, even if a high ranking is achieved, capturing audience traffic is a challenge.
18
Make sure to incorporate search engine marketing into your strategy, paying close attention to relevancy and searcher intent. Paid search can allow your brand to be seen, especially if you’re competing with bigger brands for top Organic Listings.

People are searching smarter, and faster
—search engines are adapting to that and businesses need to also. Google is building a smarter search engine and working on anticipating what it is that searchers are actually looking for.
“
”
Ian Everdell,
UX and Research Manager, Mediative
19

DEEP DIVE:
THE NEW SERP ELEMENTS
22 - KNOWLEDGE GRAPH
29 - CAROUSEL
34 - LOCAL LISTINGS
39 - ORGANIC LISTINGS
49 - SPONSORED LISTINGS

Google’s newest additions to its search results pages (Knowledge Graph, Local Listings, Carousel…) are geared towards consumer-related queries; but depending on how relevant they are to the intent of the searcher, they can disrupt regular search patterns.
By virtue of the fact that searchers are finding it increasingly difficult to predict the location of the most relevant result, they have a tendency to scan through elements more quickly and linearly than before.
Δ The top organic result is no longer always in the top left corner,
so we see initial gaze going to a number of different elements.
21
THE EFFECTS OF
NEW SERP ELEMENTS

KNOWLEDGE GRAPH
Google’s Knowledge Graph provides structured and detailed information when people search for facts. This means that users may find what they were searching for without having to click through to other sites.
See page 73 for Knowledge Graph click-through rate benchmarking information.

An irrelevant Knowledge Graph will potentially drive the user’s attention towards the Organic Listings.
* Time spent looking at this area of interest as a percentage of the entire time spent looking at the page before a click was made.
23
Search task:
Imagine that you’re hosting a party for the Oscars and want to print off a list of the nominees for your guests to try to pick winners. Use Google to find a list of the 2014 Oscars nominees.
of participants fixated
of time spent
looking at the page*
of time spent
looking at the page
of page clicks
KNOWLEDGE GRAPH:
IRRELEVANT TO QUERY

Content strategy for SEO
Knowledge Graph results appear mostly in response to a factual or numerical search, or when the search relates to a famous person, place or thing. Focus content development on providing the answers to the potential search query as this will help ensure your website is listed as high up as possible in the organic results below the Knowledge Graph.
24
An irrelevant Knowledge Graph will potentially drive the user’s attention towards the Organic Listings.
KNOWLEDGE GRAPH:
IRRELEVANT TO QUERY

A relevant Knowledge Graph result has the potential to capture a significant amount of attention away from the Organic Listings.
25
Search task:
Imagine you’re traveling to New Orleans and are wondering what the weather will be like. Use Google to find out what the weather in New Orleans is.
of time spent looking at the page
of time spent
looking at the page
of page clicks
KNOWLEDGE GRAPH:
RELEVANT TO QUERY

Front-load content
With a relevant Knowledge Graph result, searchers won’t even have to click through to a site, so some businesses will see a decline in traffic to their site. A first or second place Organic Listing is desirable to minimize traffic loss. Front- load content in meta data and title tags, and use schema mark-up where possible to make your business listing stand out, distracting the searcher’s attention away from the Knowledge Graph as much as possible.
26
A relevant Knowledge Graph result has the potential to capture a significant amount of attention away from the Organic Listings.
KNOWLEDGE GRAPH:
RELEVANT TO QUERY

Though the top Organic Listing may see a decrease in clicks when a Knowledge Graph is relevant vs. irrelevant, it is still looked at by the majority of participants. Brand awareness may therefore still result from the organic impression received.
27
IRRELEVANT KNOWLEDGE
GRAPH RESULT
RELEVANT KNOWLEDGE
GRAPH RESULT
KNOWLEDGE GRAPH
VS. ORGANIC LISTING

Google is not thinking about how the Knowledge Graph will affect your website traffic—Google is concerned with providing the searcher with the most relevant information, and if it can do this without the searcher even having to leave their SERP, all the better!
“
”
Jody Nimetz,
SEO Group Manager, Mediative
28

CAROUSEL
Carousel listings are part of Google’s attempt to deliver more semantically relevant search results in the form of a strip of up to 10 images with accompanying information such as ratings.
See page 74 for Carousel click- through rate benchmarking information.

Though the Carousel is designed to provide searchers with results that more accurately correspond to their intent, it does not significantly hold their attention.
30
Note: Unlike in the US, the Carousel is still a new feature in Canada, visible for only a limited number of searches.
CAROUSEL
Search task:
Imagine you are traveling to New Orleans and are looking for somewhere to play golf. Use Google to find a local golf course.
increase in time spent looking at the top sponsored listing when on a page with a Carousel
increase in clicks to top sponsored listing when on a page with a Carousel

Consider your ad campaigns
The introduction of the Carousel led to more intense activity on the sponsored listings directly below the Carousel. Sponsored listings on a page with a Carousel received significantly more attention and clicks than on the SERPs that did not have a Carousel.
Consider this behaviour when making adjustments to your paid ad campaign.
31
CAROUSEL
Though the Carousel is designed to provide searchers with results that more accurately correspond to their intent, it does not significantly hold their attention.

32
The Carousel has the potential to capture a significant amount of clicks, given its prime location. Google’s intent
is to help searchers find what they don’t know
they are looking for.
Δ Clicking on a Carousel result will take the searcher to a SERP dedicated to that result.
CAROUSEL
of page clicks captured

On-site and off-site SEO
You cannot control whether or not your business listing appears in Carousel results. However, your organic visibility will have a significant impact because of the post-click page result, therefore a strong overall SEO strategy (on-site and off-site) should be your focus. This should include Google+ Local optimization (images, location, star rating, etc.). Be sure to have citations and/or some sort of presence in Wikipedia, and also look into getting into Freebase. Google is trying to increase the time spent on the SERP, and you need to encourage the searcher to click to your site.
33
CAROUSEL
The Carousel has the potential to capture a significant amount of clicks, given its prime location. Google’s intent
is to help searchers find what they don’t know
they are looking for.

LOCAL LISTINGS ABOVE
OR BELOW ORGANIC
On a Google SERP, local search results are grouped together, sometimes appearing above, sometimes below the organic results.
See page 75 for Local Listings click-through rate benchmarking information.

35
The ability of Local Listings to attract attention and win clicks is dependent on the placement of the Local Listings box on the SERP, and on the nature of the search query.
LOCAL LISTINGS
ABOVE ORGANIC
Search task:
Imagine you’re renovating your rec room and need to purchase some home décor items. Use Google to find home décor stores in Toronto.
of participants looked
of time spent
looking at the page
of page clicks
of page clicks
of time spent
looking at the page

Optimize your Google+
Local Profile
Google+ Local pages are directly tied to the appearance and position in a local search query. Correct business name, address, phone number (consistent across all web properties), star ratings, and reviews will help to ensure your business is listed, and seen by searchers.
36
Note: Position within the Local Listings box had the largest influence over views and clicks, followed by star ratings. 45% of all clicks within the Local Listing box were to the top 2 listings, and 51% of time spent looking within the Local Listing box was at the top 2 listings.
LOCAL LISTINGS
ABOVE ORGANIC
The ability of Local Listings to attract attention and win clicks is dependant on the placement of the Local Listings box on the SERP, and on the nature of the search query.

37
Local Listings captured most attention when physical location was more important to searchers than choice, comparison and reviews (e.g. in the search for a home store).
LOCAL LISTINGS
BELOW ORGANIC
Search task:
Imagine you’re moving from Toronto to Vancouver. Use Google to find a moving company in Toronto.
of page clicks
of time spent
looking at the page
of participants looked
of time spent
looking at the page
of page clicks

Concentrate on
on-site SEO
In the event that the Local Listings box is positioned further down the SERP, a strong on-site SEO strategy will help move your own website listing further up the page. Start by looking at page content and ensure you’re using relevant keywords. Front-load heading tags and title tags with intent-based keywords, and make sure pages are interlinked.
38
LOCAL LISTINGS
BELOW ORGANIC
Local Listings captured most attention when physical location was more important to searchers than choice, comparison and reviews (e.g. in the search for a home store).

ORGANIC LISTINGS
These are the traditional Google SERP listings.

When only Organic Listings are present on the SERP, the search pattern is still similar to the traditional Golden Triangle behaviour. However, page scanning is quicker, and less horizontal.
40
ORGANIC LISTINGS
SERP featuring only Organic Listings:
of people looked at the top Organic Listing
of page clicks were to the top Organic Listing
of page clicks were to the top 4 Organic Listings
until the first Organic Listing was looked at

When new elements are introduced to the SERP, it takes longer for people to see the top Organic Listing. It is not viewed for as long, or by as many participants. Searchers are still looking for the top Organic Listing. They are distracted on their path to this listing, but not enough to affect clicks.
41
ORGANIC LISTINGS
of people looked at the top Organic Listing
of page clicks were to the top Organic Listing
of page clicks were to the top 4 Organic Listings
until the first Organic Listing was looked at
SERP featuring multiple elements in addition to Organic Listings:

Getting as close to the top of the rankings is still the name of the game…
42
ORGANIC LISTINGS
The evolution of clicks across the entire study:
2014
2005
#1 ORGANIC LISTING
TOP 4 ORGANIC LISTINGS
ANYTHING ABOVE THE 4TH ORGANIC LISTING
4x
more clicks from informational searches* were below the 4th Organic Listing vs. navigational searches.
of all clicks were to “next page”. If your business is not listed on the first page, it might as well not exist online.
* Most people use a search engine to gather alternatives/ research options (“informational” searches) or to go directly to a site that best matches the particular need at the time (“navigational” searches).

Earning a first place organic ranking can be extremely difficult without an endless budget. Over half of the page clicks were won by areas of the SERP above the 4th Organic Listing. It is worth considering other areas to appear in if you’re looking to improve website traffic, rather than focusing all efforts on ranking #1. Knowing the searcher’s intent can help determine your investment in trying to appear higher in the SERP. E.g. If searchers come to your site via an informational search, you can afford to be lower on the page as it takes longer for people to make a selection for these searches, and they tend to scroll much further down the page than with navigational searches.
…but it’s not only about being #1.
43
ORGANIC LISTINGS

The effect of authorship
mark-up* on search can enhance engagement, even when results are listed further down the page.
The 2 authored posts* on the page captured:
44
of all clicks to that page
The top clicked authored posts were those that had titles such as:
• Best…
• Reviews of…
• Top 5…
• How-to…
ORGANIC LISTINGS:
AUTHORED POSTS*
* On August 28, 2014, Google announced that it had removed authored posts from search. However, Google’s John Mueller states “Search users will still see Google+ posts from friends and pages when they’re relevant to the query.” The Google+ results appear similar to an authored post.

In searching for a new experience, peer reviews are most important.
People will focus more attention on a review listing regardless of position on the page.
45
Search task:
Imagine that you’re getting ready for Valentine’s Day and you want to find a restaurant for dinner before your movie. Use Google to find a restaurant near the Eaton Centre.
of clicks in a search for restaurants were to popular review/ rating sites
ORGANIC LISTINGS:
REVIEW SITES

Star ratings, combined with thumbnail images, have the potential to garner clicks.
of page clicks
Search task:
Imagine that you’re hosting a party for the Oscars. Use Google to find a recipe for crab dip.
46
ORGANIC LISTINGS:
STAR RATINGS

Utilize schema mark-up
Only 0.3%* of websites use schema mark- up, yet over 33% of Google’s results contain rich snippets (additional text, images and links below the individual search results). Rich-snippets can increase CTRs of listings by 15-50%**
and websites using schema mark-up tend to rank higher in search results. Use schema mark-up to include star ratings, number of reviews, and more which will increase your chances of being noticed, and clicked on, by searchers.
* Searchmetrics.com
** BruceClay.com
47
ORGANIC LISTINGS
Star ratings, combined with thumbnail images, have the potential to garner clicks.

48
The importance of being the first listing vs. listed somewhere above the top 4 organic results is very dependent on the type of business you are in, the searcher’s intent, plus the strength of your brand. Businesses in retail, food/beverage, consumer goods, electronics, personal services, entertainment & recreation, and automotive industries, to name a few, will potentially still benefit from attention and traffic to their listing, even if it’s not the #1 organic result.
“
”
Rebecca Maynes,
Marketing Strategist, Mediative

SPONSORED TEXT LISTINGS
Sponsored text ads, designed to meet searcher intent, increase brand visibility and capture traffic.

Top sponsored paid ads have stood the test of time, with very little change in click-through rates in 9 years, proving the ability of paid search to capture not only attention, but also traffic.
The best performing paid ads were:
• Paid ads for branded searches
• Paid ads for a non-branded search that exactly met the searcher’s intent
• Paid ads combined with an organic ad for a non-branded search
50
SPONSORED
TEXT LISTINGS
2014 CTR
2005 CTR
LISTING POSITION
TOP #1
SPONSORED AD
TOP #2
SPONSORED AD
TOTAL TOP 2
SPONSORED AD

What has changed significantly since 2005
is the attention and clicks captured by the right rail sponsored listings.
This is likely a result of searchers’ tendencies, influenced by mobile, to search more vertically than horizontally.
51
SPONSORED
TEXT LISTINGS
2005
2014
2014 CTR
2005 CTR
RIGHT RAIL SPONSORED ADS CTR

Note: This study was conducted just prior to Google’s March 2014 changes to its sponsored ad format, however, we believe the results are still representative of the new format of listing.
52
SPONSORED
TEXT LISTINGS
Δ Rosetta Stone has bid on branded keywords to appear visible in both the sponsored listings and the organic listings.
Search task:
Imagine that you want to learn to speak German. You’ve heard about “Rosetta Stone” software. Use Google to find the Rosetta Stone website.
The sponsored ad captured:
of page
clicks
of time spent on page
Paid ads are an effective way of promoting brand lift, and earning more traffic to your website.
Paid ads for
branded searches

* “The Brand Lift of Search – Online Survey and Eye Tracking Study” in 2007: mdv.to/1pI2fFJ
Have Sponsored and Organic Listings for brand lift
You might wonder if the top Organic Listing would still get the same number of clicks if the Sponsored Listing was not there (cannibalization of clicks). However, in a previous study featuring Honda*, Mediative discovered that when a brand is in the top Sponsored Listing and in the top Organic Listings, it achieved a significant lift in brand association, aided brand recall, and purchase consideration.
53
SPONSORED
TEXT LISTINGS
Paid ads are an effective way of promoting brand lift, and earning more traffic to your website.
Paid ads for
branded searches

54
You’re renovating your rec room and want to get a new big screen TV. You’re not sure what kind to get and want to read some reviews. Use Google to find reviews of big screen TVs.
The 3rd paid listing, ask.com, captured:
the amount of time spent on the page vs. futureshop.ca and samsung.com
the number of clicks vs. futureshop.ca and samsung.com
2x
8x
SPONSORED
TEXT LISTINGS
Search task:
Paid ads are an effective tool for positioning your business in front of people who may not yet be aware of your brand, or who are likely to be heavily influenced by a brand.
Paid ads for non-branded search that exactly meets searcher intent

Know searcher intent
Sponsored text ads perform best when they are very closely related to the intent of the search query. In navigational searches, people will often quickly scan past listings to find a brand they trust. In informational searches, they are more interested in reviews and/or comparison websites. Consider the searchers’ specific intent and adjust your paid search strategy accordingly. For example, front-load titles based on the keyword you are bidding on, indicating searcher intent.
Note: A previous study by Mediative (http://mdv.to/display-ad-walmart) shows there is also an increase in brand recognition and purchase intent, even when ads do not match the intent of the searcher. In these cases, big brands could bid highly for the paid ads as there’s a strong chance that there will be no click, yet the company name is seen.
55
SPONSORED
TEXT LISTINGS
Paid ads are an effective tool for positioning your business in front of people who may not yet be aware of your brand, or who are likely to be heavily influenced by a brand.
Paid ads for non-branded search that exactly meets searcher intent

Search task:
You’re moving from Toronto to Vancouver and need to set up cable, phone, and Internet. Use Google to find a company you could do that with.
Shaw and Rogers had both a Sponsored Listing and an Organic Listing. Combined, these 4 listings captured:
of page
clicks
56
SPONSORED
TEXT LISTINGS
Paid ads can increase brand strength, as well as drive traffic to your website.
Paid ads combined
with organic listings for a
non-branded search

Know searcher intent
A significant lift in attention and clicks in non-branded searches can be achieved by advertising in the sponsored listings and having a listing in the top 4 organic results. The average duration of a look at one of the top sponsored ads was only 0.36 seconds— this is how long advertisers have to capture the attention of searchers. Therefore, the more SERP real estate you can take up with your relevant listings the better your advantage.
57
SPONSORED
TEXT LISTINGS
Paid ads can increase brand strength, as well as drive traffic to your website.
Paid ads combined
with organic listings for a
non-branded search

METRICS

Impressions vs. clicks
3 out of the 5 new elements covered in this study—Carousel, Knowledge Graph and Local Listings—don’t necessarily require the user to click on the listing/ placement to get the information they are looking for. Impression data should therefore be measured as a success metric. Given how much information can potentially be garnered about your business without a user having to leave the SERP, the listings have a similar effect in terms of brand awareness as a display ad—even if a click is not captured.
Quality of each click
Conversion rates must be measured to understand the quality of potential customers coming from search. Even if you are struggling to get a large impression and click share, you might be getting highly valuable clicks. Understanding the value of each
organic visitor is important.
59
What’s changed
What’s still valuable
Traffic
Website visits or traffic generated from click activity has always been important and you should continue to measure this.
The best part? Google Analytics
can track all this for you for free.
METRICS

61 - NATIONAL ADVERTISERS
65 - LOCATION-BASED BUSINESSES
69 - ONLINE PUBLISHERS
IMPACTS ON BUSINESSES

NATIONAL
ADVERTISERS
The effect of big brand names on search:
In the example below, eBay, Amazon, and Staples were listed 3rd, 5th and 6th in the Organic Listings. Together, they captured:
of all clicks on the page
of total time spent looking at the page
62
If you’re a smaller brand trying to compete, consider other online and offline channels to build your brand name, or advertise niche products where competition for keywords won’t be as fierce.
If you’re a big name brand, it’s not critical to be the #1 listing.
Big brands vs. small
1

63
NATIONAL
ADVERTISERS
2
Paid search campaigns are essential to generate brand reach and direct traffic when there’s high competition for a top organic ranking.
Structure your campaign around a competitive advantage that resonates with searchers (e.g. price, trust, convenience) and front-load this content in your ad messaging.
The value of paid search

3
Ensure every product has a dedicated product page with titles, meta data, images, etc. fully optimized for search. Use schema mark-up to include rich-snippets below the listing.
Remember: the traffic you generate will be useless if there is a poor purchase conversion path set up. Make sure your landing page or website is optimized accordingly.
Examples:
• Car Manufacturers (mdv.to/1Aw4DmH)
• Financial Service Providers
(mdv.to/1oaXEH6)
Δ Schema mark-up provides more product details
in the listing on the SERP.
64
NATIONAL
ADVERTISERS
SEO and schema

66
Δ When the Carousel is shown on a SERP,
it replaces the Local Listing box.
LOCATION-BASED BUSINESSES
Local businesses have the opportunity to appear in several areas of the SERP—right rail map, Local Listings box, the Carousel, and Organic Listings. When the Carousel is shown, it replaces the Local Listing box. You cannot be 100% sure which feature will be shown, so you should optimize your Google+ Local pages with proper category choices and descriptions.
Claim all store locations and ensure the listings are displaying the correct information.
Optimize local listings
1

An essential element to a local SEO strategy is building content on your website that the searcher will find useful, and that will match a local searcher’s keywords and intent. Local searches often include regional/city modifiers.
Build unique product/service pages by location for your website, and have a presence on local directories and review sites. Establishing a consistent name, address, and phone number is vital to ranking in local search results.
67
Local SEO content strategy
2

Create specific paid ad campaigns for each market served and leverage local-targeting options and ad messaging to fuel your search marketing strategy.
Examples:
• Local Car Dealerships
(mdv.to/1mj45bz)
• Local Insurance/Financial Service
Providers (mdv.to/1tm7wlY)
68
3
SEM strategy
Locally relevant content in the ad copy and on landing pages will increase phone calls and visits to your location, and decrease the cost-per-acquisition.

ONLINE
PUBLISHERS
1
Publishers rely heavily on unique visitors to pages on their site.
Many publishers are likely to be negatively impacted by the Knowledge Graph, as searchers can get their answer directly on the SERP.
Our study showed that there is still potential for clicks on the top Organic Listing, and it was looked at by the majority of participants, therefore publishers must take SEO seriously if they want to achieve a high organic ranking, and minimize the decline in organic traffic.
70
The value of SEO

ONLINE
PUBLISHERS
2
Paid search campaigns, and a strong SEO strategy can generate traffic from broader search queries (such as “currency converter”
as opposed to “convert $100 CAD
to USD”).
Not all searchers will be so specific with their intent in the initial search, therefore, a high ranked Organic Listing can capture significant traffic.
Consider ways to make your listing stand out more on the SERP such as schema mark-up as this could lead to more website traffic.
71
SEM and SEO combined

INDUSTRY BENCHMARKS*
Average click-through rate per SERP element
73 - KNOWLEDGE GRAPH
74 - CAROUSEL
75 - LOCAL LISTINGS
76 - ORGANIC & SPONSORED LISTINGS COMPARISON
* Although we had a very small sample size when it comes to click through rates, we felt that it would be useful to provide a breakdown
of the click data and how it’s distributed across the different elements of the SERP.

73
AVERAGE CTRs: SERP WITH KNOWLEDGE GRAPH
Knowledge
Graph
irrelevant
to search
query
Knowledge
Graph
relevant
to search
query

74
AVERAGE CTRs: SERP WITH CAROUSEL

75
AVERAGE CTRs: SERP WITH LOCAL LISTINGS

2014 CTR
2005 CTR
LISTING POSITION
TOP #1
Sponsored Ad
TOP #2
Sponsored Ad
TOTAL TOP 2
SPONSORED AD
TOP #1
Organic Listing
TOP #2
Organic Listing
TOP #3
Organic Listing
TOP #4
Organic Listing
TOP 4
ORGANIC
ALL LISTING
POSITIONED
ABOVE
4TH ORGANIC
TOTAL ORGANIC
ORGANIC AND SPONSORED LISTINGS COMPARISON: 2014 VS. 2005
76

APPENDIX

PROJECT CONTRIBUTORS
Rebecca Maynes
Marketing Strategist
Rebecca.Maynes@mediative.com
Ian Everdell
Manager, UX and Research
Ian.Everdell@mediative.com
78

OUR THOUGHT LEADERS
Knowledge is at the core of what Mediative does in the digital world. It is fuelled by data, research and experience, and shaped by the curiosity of our people - to delve deeper and think ahead.
Meet some of our people:
79
Darby Sieben
President
Specialty: Digital Marketing Strategy, Start-Ups
Frédérick Ranger
VP, Marketing Specialty: Creative and Integrated Marketing
John Fanous
VP, Central Region Sales and Shopper Marketing
Specialty: Retail Monetization
Jody Nimetz
Group Manager, Organic Search/SEO Specialty: Search Engine Optimization
Chris Pinkerton
Sales Director, US and Western Canada
Specialty: Digital Strategy, Online Search Behaviour
Melanie Roth
Director, National Sales
Specialty: Digital Strategy, Local SEO, Performance Display

DIGITAL MARKETING BRILLIANCE IS JUST A TAP AWAY!
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This is it.
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•
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ABOUT MEDIATIVE
Learn more about Mediative’s
User Experience services at
mediative.com/services/user-experience
Contact Mediative at
mediative.com/contact
Mediative is a digital marketing company that provides performance services and access to media platforms designed to help businesses enhance their digital presence and influence consumers’ path to purchase.
Location and research-based data fuels our knowledge, which we leverage across our range of services, online properties, and location-based marketing platforms.
With precise and unmatched insights into how shoppers buy and how users behave, we take a holistic, consultative approach to drive the results you need now and in the future.
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