New research shows that happy keywords can lead to happier shoppers and help marketers make better use of online advertising

New research from the University of Georgia The Terry College of Business shows that when consumers are in a good mood, they use “happier” words to search for products. Researchers have linked these positive search terms to a higher likelihood of clicking on search engine ads.

The study links more traditional marketing research on how marketers manipulate and respond to consumers’ emotions and behavior in brick-and-mortar retail with today’s digital reality.

Sarah Whitley

“There’s a lot of research on how you feel when you’re in a store, how you feel when you see a product, but today people start the shopping process online before they even enter a store,” says Sarah Whitley, assistant professor of marketing at UGA’s Terry College.

“They may act differently in this online space and we need to understand the role emotions play in that.”

Positive search terms can lead to more ad clicks

The research team analyzed a set of over 5 million archived searches and conducted experiments with 6,800 participants.

The team found that people who were put in a better mood by seeing positive images (e.g. babies, bubbles, sunshine, etc.) were significantly more likely to use happy words to describe the product they wanted when they searched online. When search engine ads were presented in response to these more positive search terms, they were about 50% more likely to generate website visits than when the same search terms were presented without the “happy” modifier, regardless of the product category.

For example, test subjects who used search terms with positive emotions – such as “joyful,” “cheerful,” “playful,” and “inspiring” – to describe a water bottle were twice as likely to use them as those who used non-emotional descriptions such as “clear,” “metallic,” and “light.” Similar effects were seen for other products such as books and posters.

Anindita Chakravarty

“The positive feeling has nothing to do with the product they are looking for. It is simply something they are feeling in the moment,” says Anindita Chakravarty, co-author of the study and distinguished professor on Terry Dean’s advisory board.

“If that happens because they are happy and need to search for a product at the same time, they will use more positive words when they enter their search query. And that’s when the practical effects become apparent.”

Marketers may want to target happier buyers early in the buying process

The difference between ad clicks generated by happy and neutral searchers is related to the lower skepticism of happy consumers towards ads.

“When people are in a good mood and experiencing positive emotions, they see it through rose-colored glasses,” Whitley said. “Every person carries this knowledge in their head that shows them how marketers are trying to persuade them – persuasion knowledge.”

“When you are in a positive mood, it dampens the tendency to use your persuasive knowledge to avoid advertising. You are less skeptical and view advertising content more positively.”

Online marketers have long known that more precise search terms and price-focused search terms are indicators that online consumers are close to completing a purchase and more likely to click on an ad.

If (consumers) have a positive attitude, they may be less suspicious of your ads and more likely to click on them. Plus, you get a higher ROI on your ad spend.” – Sarah Whitley, Terry College

So they spend money to ensure their ads appear when consumers search for specific product features, logistical aspects or offers that give them more return on their ad budget.

Given this new research, marketers may want to set aside some advertising dollars to reach buyers in a positive mood earlier in the buying process.

“Instead of just thinking about deal-based search terms, marketers should consider some of these positive emotion words in search terms that can indicate how the consumer is feeling in that moment,” Whitley said. “Because if they’re feeling positive, they may be less suspicious of your ads and more likely to click on them, and you’ll get a higher ROI on your ad spend.”

Whitley and her co-authors – Anindita Chakravarty, distinguished professor of marketing on the Dean’s Advisory Council of Terry College, and her colleague Pengyuan Wang, associate professor – published their findings on what motivates shoppers to click on online search engine ads in “Positive Emotions While Using Search Engines: How You Feel Influences What You Search for and What You Click” in the Magazine for Marketing.