Understanding Sponsored Search: Core Elements of Keyword Advertising

This book addresses the underlying foundational elements, both theoretical and methodological, of sponsored search. As such, the contents are less affected by the ever-changing implementation aspects of technology. Rather than focusing on the how, this book examines what causes the how. Why do certain keywords work, while others do not? Why does that ad work well, when others that are similar do not? Why does a key phrase cost a given amount? Why do we measure what we do in keyword advertising? This book speaks to that curiosity to understand why we do what we do in sponsored search. The content flows through the major components of any sponsored search effort, regardless of the underlying technology or client or product. The book addresses keywords, ads, consumers, pricing, competitors, analytics, branding, marketing, and advertising, integrating these separate components into an incorporated whole. The focus is on the critical elements, with ample illustrations, and with enough detail to lead the interested reader to further inquiry.

Jim Jansen is an Associate Professor at the College of Information Science and Technology at The Pennsylvania State University. He has authored and co-authored more than 200 research publications, with articles appearing in a wide range of journals and conferences. He is co-author of the book Web Search: Public Searching of the Web, co-editor of the book Handbook of Research on Weblog Analysis and author of the book Understanding User-Web Interactions Via Web. Jansen is a member of the editorial boards of eight international journals and serves on the research committee for the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO). He has received several awards and honors, including an ACM Research Award and six application development awards, along with other writing, publishing, research, and leadership honors. He is also a Senior Fellow at the Pew Research Center with the Pew Internet and American Life Project.