Local Display vs. Search: Display Often Wins

Local display doesn’t get as much attention as search for SMBs, but we know that in many situations, it can complement search campaigns, or even produce better results. No one pushes harder on this than PaperG, which has developed a network of local media sites for its automated display solutions, and is now working with 20,000 SMBs. It has put together a great infographic based on its research, coming up with some striking data.

Supporting the sense that display and search are complementary, PaperG notes that 35 percent of people who see a display ad will later search for the business. It also notes that display is cheaper on a cost-per-click basis that using radio or direct mail. The average CPM cost is $1.50, compared with $4.50 for radio and $350 for direct mail.

The cost of a display ad for key verticals also runs substantially less than desktop or mobile search. Dentists, for instance, will pay a CPM of $2.58, compared with $6.13 for desktop search and $3.55 for mobile search.

“We’ve seen display work well when positioned as creating ‘brand awareness with performance upside,’ ” said CEO Victor Wong in an email. “Certainly advertisers with multiple locations or that spend $1,000+ a month on print advertising benefit from greater brand awareness from online display at far cheaper costs than traditional channels. That said, we’ve now gotten targeted display to start working for single location businesses spending $500/month and with re-targeting, we can get results for as low as $100/month.”