The innovation of Search Engine Advertising (SEA) acts as a prominent source of revenue for search engine companies, as well as being a solution for businesses to promote their visibility on the Web. However, the underlying factors that contribute to businesses’ decision to adopt SEA have not been investigated. Building upon known behavioural theories (such as Theory of Planned Behaviour, Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology, and Social Cognitive Theory) this research developed a context-specific model for understanding the factors that influence the decision of businesses to utilize SEA. Using structural equation modelling and survey data collected from 142 businesses familiar with the SEA model, the research identified that the intention of businesses to utilize SEA is influenced by four direct factors (attitude toward SEA, subjective norms, perceived control over SEA and perceived benefits of SEA) and eight indirect factors (trust in search engines, perceived risk of SEA, ability to manage keywords and bids, ability to analyse and monitor outcomes, advertising expertise, using external experts, perceived complexity of the SEA tool and commitment to SEA). Two other factors, the ability to detect click fraud and using third-party tools, were found to be insignificant in this decision-making. These results can be used by search engine providers as well as businesses to further enhance the SEA industry.
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