How much of it is real? Analysis of paid placement in Web search engine results

Most Web search tools integrate sponsored results with results from their internal editorial database in providing results to users. The goal of this research is to get a better idea of how much of the screen real estate displays “real” editorial results as compared to sponsored results. The overall average results are that 40% of all results presented on the first screen are “real” results, and when the entire first Web page is considered, 67% of the results are non-sponsored results. For general search tools like Google, 56% of the first screen and 82% of the first Web page contain non-sponsored results. Other results include that query structure makes a significant difference in the percentage of non-sponsored results returned by a search. Similarly, the topic of the query can also have a significant effect on the percentage of sponsored results displayed by most Web search tools. Introduction Since 1996, there has been a growing trend toward reliance on the Internet for information needs. In order to find this information, many users start their exploration with a Web search tool. Most Web search tools are for-profit enterprises and use advertising to bring in enough income to allow them to continue offering their services for free to the public. Most search tools offer some type of targeted marketing where advertisements are connected to certain search terms. Some ads are placed on the top, side, and bottom of search results, while other ads are placed within the context of the “real” results. The result is that a searcher may be faced with more ads than actual editorial results. The goal of this research work is to gain a better understanding of the amount and type of advertising presented to search tool users. This type of advertising is not necessarily bad or inappropriate. A user looking for products or services may have their information need met through this type of contextual advertising. This model of large eye-catching advertisements to support an information source has been employed for decades through our commercial telephone directories. The food and beverage industry sells