From Chapter 6 of the book Digital Dominance (get your FREE copy today)
The Top Ad Positions Aren’t Always the Most Profitable
Another big mistake online advertisers make is assuming they have to pay for a prime spot on a search engine or social feed if they want to get viewers. It certainly helps if your ad is in one of the top three spots, as these tend to get the most views and clicks.But that doesn’t necessarily make them worth paying for.
For one thing, the bid prices for those ad positions can be several times greater than the per-click fees for advertising spots that don’t get as many views. So a campaign that might have been unprofitable at a high per-click cost might be more reasonable if you’re willing to have fewer people see your messaging.
Another thing to remember is that people who are looking for information tend to check out a few sources. Those who are serious about making a purchase, or taking the next step toward a big investment, are likely to do more research. That means they may go past the top few ad positions anyway.
The result of both of these dynamics is that bidding for a fourth or fifth slot, for example, can often net you a much higher return than you’d get from focusing your per-click budget on the top ad slot.
