What do you believe is the single most important factor driving up the cost of living in Nigeria?

New research from the University of Georgia Terry College of Business shows consumers use "happier" words to search for products when they are in a good mood. Researchers have connected those positive search terms with an increased likelihood of clicking on search engine ads.

The study connects marketing's more traditional research into how marketers manipulate and react to consumers' emotions and behavior at brick-and-mortar retailers to today's digital realities.

"There's a lot of research about how you feel when you're in a store, how you feel when you see a product, but now people begin the shopping process online before they step foot in a store," said Sarah Whitley, an assistant professor of marketing in UGA's Terry College. "They may operate differently in this online space, and we need to understand how emotions play a role."

Whitley and her co-authors—Terry College Dean's Advisory Council Distinguished Professor of Marketing Anindita Chakravarty and fellow associate professor Pengyuan Wang—published their findings on what motivates shoppers to click online search ads in "Positive Emotions During Search Engine Use: How You Feel Impacts What You Search For and Click On" in the Journal of Marketing.

Positive search terms may lead to more ad clicks

• Read More