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Effective search marketing depends on knowing specific goals.
Image courtesy of boostrankings.com
When it comes to effective search marketing, the wise sage (and former Yankee great) Yogi Berra said it best, "If you don't know where you are going, you will wind up somewhere else." Budding search marketers should heed these words - to be successful, they first need to know precisely where they're going. Then, they need to make sure they take the right steps, or hire the right provider to get there.
Often, this means more than generating increased clicks. According to a report by Internet Retailer magazine, outdoor equipment and apparel retailer Cabela's Inc. knew where it wanted to go - it wanted to drive in-store sales during its 2008 holiday season. Working with search engine marketer Performics, Cabela's created a series of online ads promoting coupons redeemable at specific Cabela's stores. Using geo-targeting, Cabela's and Performics directed the ads to consumers located within 200 miles of the Cabela's store featured on the coupon. And the paid ads focused on keywords that promoted Cabela's, the holiday event and a combination of both.
The results exceeded everyone's expectations. Around 10 percent of consumers who saw the ads clicked through to grab the coupons - about three times the initial forecast. And 40 percent of those who "clipped" the coupons redeemed them in stores, again almost three times the 15 percent forecast.
So search engine marketing can do more than generate clicks. It can also increase brand awareness, boost cross-channel sales and target highly profitable repeat customers. But as Yogi said, you need to figure out where you're going - then you can figure out how best to get there. Here are some thoughts to consider:
- Know your business and your market - sounds pretty trite, doesn't it? But to get the most from a search marketing effort, it's important to define your business as your customers are likely to do. For example, do you sell "toys," or do you sell "educational toys?" How do your competitors define themselves? Once you know, you'll be better able to label your business to make it easy for customers to find you. And if you choose to source out your search marketing efforts, you'll be better able to select the provider who can meet your particular market challenges.
- Decide whether to delegate - should you handle your own search marketing, or find a partner to provide the service? It may depend on how well a potential partner demonstrates its knowledge of your business and its challenges. Jody Murdough, co-owner or toy e-retailer BigToyExpress.com hasn't found anyone yet that he is comfortable with. "We have considered using SEM's, but we have not signed on with any," he told Internet Retailer. "We have been reluctant to delegate such an important responsibility to any outside group that does not possess the full knowledge of our business and who are out of sync with our strategy."
- Know your measures of success - whether or not you choose to outsource your search marketing to a partner, it's important to define success and how it will be measured. For example, do you just want to drive clicks to your web site? Do you want to drive traffic to a bricks-and-mortar location (as did Cabela's)? Or are you interested in online sales? A finely painted portrait of success will help you determine your return on investment and/or help you find (and compensate) the right partner for your search marketing efforts.
- Find the right partner - if you do decide to work with a partner, you'll probably find yourself meeting with a series of providers who can all make a good case for their approach and their experience. You will want to be prepared with specific questions that can narrow the field. For example, Shar VanBoskirk, vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research Inc. told Internet Retailer that marketers should ask prospective search marketing partners to address a specific case study scenario, such as "What will you do to solve my current problem of paying too much for low-spending customers? It's much better than asking the vendor to talk about their capabilities or past experiences," VanBoskirk said. "Asking the vendor to talk about how they would handle a hypothetical situation is very indicative of what it will be like to do business with them."
No matter how you choose to approach search marketing, it can not only drive traffic to your web site, it can increase brand awareness and drive your business. You just have to know where you're going so you don't wind up somewhere else.
Banner ad - a graphical web advertising unit, typically measuring 468 pixels wide and 60 pixels tall (i.e. 468x60).
HTML banner - a banner ad using HTML elements, often including interactive forms, instead of (or in addition to) standard graphical elements.
Interstitial - an advertisement that loads between two content pages.
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