安布思沛-2017年Q4付费搜索广告趋势报告（英文）-2018-19页-3mb

Paid Search Trends Summary - Q4 2017

Core Content

The iPROSPECT Quarterly Report for Q4 2017 provides an in-depth analysis of paid search trends across Google and Bing, highlighting key changes in cost per click (CPC), click volume, and campaign efficiency. The report outlines the challenges and opportunities faced by advertisers as the search landscape evolves with increased competition, algorithm updates, and the rise of shopping ads.

Main Viewpoints

• CPC Increases: Paid search and shopping CPC saw significant year-over-year (YoY) increases in Q4 2017, with Google's CPC rising by 21% and Bing's by 29%. These increases were driven by external factors such as heightened competition and algorithm changes, rather than lower quality ads or bidding for higher positions.
• Clicks Decline: Despite rising CPC, clicks on Google decreased by 18% YoY, with desktop clicks dropping by 26% and mobile clicks by 13%. The decline in clicks is attributed to a shift in consumer behavior toward mobile and the rise of Amazon as a major search competitor.
• Shopping Ads Growth: Shopping ads experienced strong growth, with impressions up 75% YoY and clicks up 37% YoY. Mobile played a significant role in this growth, contributing 62% of all clicks. Shopping ad investment reached 36% of total paid search spend in Q4 2017, up from 23% in Q4 2016.
• Bing Performance: Bing showed improvements in CTR and average position compared to Google, even though its CPC was 74% higher. Bing's market share reached 32% in Q4 2017, with a strong focus on desktop searches.
• Retail and B2B Trends: Retail investment increased by 18% YoY, but click volume fell by 9% due to rising CPC and competition. B2B, on the other hand, saw a 6% decrease in CPC YoY, with improved CTR and traffic, especially on mobile.
• Mobile Dominance: Mobile is becoming a dominant channel, with 58% of clicks coming from mobile devices. Mobile CPC is 40% lower than desktop, leading to a 46% investment share in mobile, nearly equal to desktop's 47%.
• Future Outlook for 2018: The report predicts continued CPC increases in 2018 due to algorithm updates and heightened competition. Advertisers are advised to leverage machine learning and AI for automation, enhance audience targeting, and focus on structured data to improve ad performance.

Key Information

CPC Trends

• Google CPC: Rose by 21% YoY, reaching an all-time high.
• Bing CPC: Increased by 29% YoY, with a 74% higher rate than Google.
• Mobile vs. Desktop: Desktop CPC is consistently 54% higher than mobile on Google, while Bing's mobile CPC surpassed desktop in 2015 and reconverged in Q3 2017 due to Expanded Device Targeting.

Click Volume

• Google: Clicks declined by 18% YoY, with desktop clicks dropping 26% and mobile clicks by 13%.
• Bing: Clicks increased by 18% YoY, with a 57% higher CTR than Google.

Shopping Ads

• Impressions: Google Shopping impressions increased by 83% YoY on mobile and 70% YoY on desktop.
• Clicks: Shopping clicks increased by 37% YoY, with click share up 99% from Q3 2017.
• Conversion Rates: During Black Friday/Cyber Monday, conversion rates improved by 8% YoY and sales grew by 53% YoY.

Vertical Analysis

• Retail: Increased investment by 18% YoY, but click volume fell by 9% YoY.
• B2B: Saw a 6% CPC decrease YoY, with a 70% YoY increase in traffic and 16% YoY increase in mobile CTR.

Future Predictions

• Automation: Machine learning and AI will continue to shape paid search, with features like contextual smart bidding and dynamic ad copy serving expected to evolve.
• Audience Targeting: More specific targeting options will come at a premium, and advertisers may need to invest in these to remain competitive.
• Competition: Amazon and other platforms are reshaping the search landscape, prompting Google and Bing to innovate with new features like Google Express and voice search.
• Structured Data: The importance of structured data is growing, especially for shopping ads, to enhance the ad-to-checkout experience and improve campaign performance.

Conclusion

The Q4 2017 report highlights the dynamic and competitive nature of the paid search landscape. Advertisers must adapt to rising CPC, shifting consumer behavior, and the increasing role of shopping ads and structured data. With mobile continuing to dominate and competition intensifying, strategic investments in automation, audience targeting, and ad quality are essential for success in 2018.