How we partnered with Meta on scaling Search Lift methodologies

Journey Further are one of four agencies in EMEA selected by Meta to partner on a Search Lift Meta Analysis project. Journey Further ran a series of Search Lift studies, across multiple different clients, to help understand the impact Social has on Search demand. Emma Mathews, Head of Industry – Agency | UK Business Partners, Meta:

“This work was commissioned by four agencies in EMEA, with Journey Further selected for their pioneering efforts in scaling the Search Lift methodology to their clients in 2023. We are thrilled to collaborate with Journey Further and share these results together.”

 

What are Search Lift Studies?

In the ever-evolving world of digital marketing, measuring the impact of your campaigns is crucial. As marketers, we have so many tools at our fingertips to help us with this and knowing how to interpret this data effectively is the key to a great strategy. Just over a year ago, Meta released a new tool called Search Lift studies, which goes some way to answering the age-old question; what relationship does Social have with Search? Meta Search Lift is an experimentation tool, offered by Meta, to help businesses understand the incremental impact of their advertising campaigns. The methodology is very similar to a conversion lift study, whereby you have a controlled and an exposed group. The controlled group do not see any of your ads, but the exposed group do. Meta will then track the performance of each group and understand the uplift between the two: i.e. Would users have taken your desired action had they not been served with your ad? In the case of a Search Lift Study, you can still measure conversions such as ‘add to carts’ and ‘purchases’. However, you can also track if someone was served one of your ads, did they then go onto Google and click through an Organic or Paid link. This can be done by setting up custom conversion events that utilise Paid or Organic search UTMs.  

Our Meta Analysis with Meta

At Journey Further, we love all things experimentation and in November 2023, we were one of the first agencies to start experimenting with Search Lift. Fast forward to September 2024, and Journey Further were one of a few agencies that worked with Meta on a Search Lift Meta Analysis project, having run a series of Search Lift experiments across a number of our clients. The clients were primarily mid-sized retail/ecommerce and were running their activity in the UK. We then worked with Meta who conducted a Meta Analysis to understand what the overall impact of the activity was and here are the results: Stat 1 – In a meta-analysis of 13 Conversion Lift studies across EMEA clients, Meta drove, on average, 13% incremental Organic Searches for audiences exposed to Meta ads.* Stat 2 – In a meta-analysis of 13 Conversion Lift studies across EMEA clients, Meta drove, on average, 14% incremental Paid Searches for audiences exposed to Meta ads. **   *Citation: 13 Conversion Lift studies between Apr. 2024 and Oct. 2024 in EMEA Journey Further clients. 90% Credible interval: [1.3%,25.4%]. **Citation: 13 Conversion Lift studies between Apr. 2024 and Oct. 2024 in EMEA Journey Further clients. 90% Credible interval: [6.6%,21%].

Meta drives Organic Search

 

Meta drives Paid Search

  Understanding the impact of your Meta ads through Search Lift Studies is key for any business looking to get the most out of their campaigns. These studies demonstrate how your ads drive not just direct conversions, but also more searches—both paid and organic. By measuring this broader effect, you can make smarter decisions about your marketing strategies and budget, ensuring you’re optimizing for the best results across the board. Ready to take your campaigns to the next level? Get in touch with us if you want to incorporate Meta Search Lift Studies into your measurement toolkit and start uncovering the true impact of your advertising.