Taking Online-Ad Measurement Beyond the Click

This great article from Advertising Age describes how Pay-per-click is only one of the metrics advertisers can track. I was suprized to learn that 2/3 of Internet users never click on a sponsored link and those who do tend to be younger and have lower income.


Pay-per-click is a model I like in the sense it gives me invaluable and measurable data on how customers react to a particular ad. It gives me the ability to change the format, editorial and offer and measure results almost instantly. However it does not provide much insight into customers change in attitudes or purchases intention.


Like any metrics, it is useful to have but has to be complemented by other behavioural data. One metric the article refers to is from the car industry. Research shows that the number of test drives booked online can be a good proxy for car sales. This metric can of course not being used on its own but provides a good complement to other Pay-per-click data.