A report from AYTM Market Research found that paid links and other sponsored search results do not generate frequent clicks.

In a survey of 400 consumers, AYTM Market Research found that search and other web users are unlikely to click on any kind of web ads. Moreover, the poll revealed that even those who click on this content do so rarely.

In terms of PPC ads, 33.3 percent said they rarely click on paid links, while 23.8 say they never do so. Moreover, sponsored links within email campaigns generate even worse click-through rates. Forty-one percent of respondents said they never clicks on these ads, compared to just 7.3 percent who say they often do.

Mobile ads have even lower success rates, with 67 percent saying they never click paid links or displays. However, the small amount of on-the-go consumers who actively engage ad content convert fairly often. Twenty-four percent of users who clicked on a paid link purchased a product or service as a result of the ad.

While mobile boasts nice paid search conversion rates, the overall data suggests businesses hoping to improve their search marketing should rely on other methods, such as SEO. Creating original content and focusing on the success of a website will allow a business to attract convertible prospects by improving their ranking on Google SERPs.

Brafton recently reported that Google and other search engines are major traffic drivers to businesses in several verticals. The three leading search engines account for one-third of all website visits to top websites, according to research from Citi.

Joe Meloni is Brafton's former Executive News and Content Writer. He studied journalism at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and has written for a number of print and web-based publications.