eBay’s “Paid Search Is Ineffective” Study Gains Buzz And Skeptics, Again

By claiming that paid search is largely “ineffective,” eBay has attracted a lot of attention and buzz with media outlets repeating the findings.Anyone who isn’t familiar with eBay’s history of throw-it-at-the-wall-and-watch-what-happens paid search advertising strategy may be able to take the company’s final release of a report that first made the rounds last year at face value. Those familiar with eBay’s paid search efforts (i.e., “Bid on Cancer now”) have taken the study with a grain of salt, if not discounted it outright.

The problem isn’t with the research or testing, it’s the fact that the study relies on eBay’s paid search campaigns and then proceeds to extrapolate the findings to the effectiveness of paid search for large brands in general– as if eBay’s paid search results are a proxy for all major brands.

Source:http://searchengineland.com/ebays-paid-search-ineffective-study-gains-buzz-skeptics-194850