Keyword Effectiveness in Paid Placement Advertising : An Exploratory Study in the Context of a Travel Website

With the increasing adoption of paid placement in search engines as an advertising strategy, firms are concentrating in using the most effective keywords. The present study attempts of explore the variations in keyword effectiveness across different keyword categories. The click through rates generated by 5308 keywords used by a Thailand based e-intermediary was processed to discover possible patterns. Two categorisation schemes are used. While the predominant influence of the average position achieved in determining the 'click-through' rate is re-emphasised, the study also provides a few interesting insights