US Paid Search CTR By Ad Position & Device, Q2 2014 [TABLE]

US Paid Search CTR By Ad Position & Device, Q2 2014 [TABLE]

Position matters when it comes to search ad clickthrough rates (CTRs)—especially for smartphones. Looking at Q2 2014 data from Marin Software, CTRs were better for first-position paid search ads run in the US on smartphones, tablets and desktops, with respective rates of 4.9%, 4.3% and 3.2%. And while this dropped with every level, the fall in CTRs on smartphones—30% per position, on average—was more dramatic than on tablets and PCs, down 28% and 22%, on average.

In all, first-position ads on smartphones grabbed nearly 40% of clickthroughs—more than double the 18% for second-position spots. Desktop search ads in the first position accounted for 30% of CTRs, while those on tablets claimed 36%. Though third-position ads grabbed a larger share of clickthroughs on smartphones than they did on desktops and tablets, this wasn’t the case for the remaining spots. Read the rest at eMarketer.