News
Searching for the
Secret to Search Advertising Success?
By Media Brains
How do marketers succeed at search marketing? Open a
Google Adwords account, write a few text ads, then
sit back and wait for the traffic to flood in. If
only it were that easy.
Search advertising can drive an excellent return on
investment. The beauty of these ads is that they
appear near search results (i.e., Google, Yahoo,
MSN), displaying when the buyer is in active
research mode – and you only pay if someone clicks.
Search advertising's biggest advantage comes from
the numbers it generates, and its ability to track
customer behavior, replacing hunches with science.
The benefits are obvious, but reaping the return
you’re looking for takes time and effort. Don’t be
fooled into thinking your search advertising will
run itself. The key strategy for successful search
advertising is to be tactical. Get ready to roll up
your sleeves, put in some time, be meticulous, and
stay on top of it. In some ways, it’s like the stock
market: the results you want are achievable and can
pay off exponentially -- you just have to be
diligent about monitoring and acting at the right
time. It’s a daily task, not a program you check
once a month.
So how do you do it right?
Test and monitor ads. Search advertising offers
rapid feedback about what people do in response to
certain offers, for a very low cost, in a highly
structured format. In mere hours after having
established advertising goals, you can do the ad
testing that would take days, weeks, or even months
for campaigns in magazines, radio and other
conventional media. It’s cheap, quick market
research, so take advantage of the ability to
continually test different ads and concepts.
Refine ads. When testing various phrases and
concepts, adjust future ads based on best
performance. And if you have several different
audiences for your various products or services,
develop and change messaging accordingly. Each of
your ad buckets can target different buyer groups.
Another perk of search advertising’s handiest
features is the ability to switch your ad campaigns
on and off, so you can take the necessary time to
refine and modify without worrying about burning
through your budget.
Use the available tools to track results. Each
search engine has its own set of reports and
analysis tools, to track how you're doing. Learn how
to use them, and use them often. Understand how
buyers are searching for your product or service,
and leverage that information to drive buyers to
your business.
Budget wisely. Be cautious of spreading yourself too
thin with too many keywords. Remember the 80/20
rule? 20% of keywords will drive 80% of traffic.
Therefore, spend 80% of your budget on 20% of the
keywords. Another budget tip: be careful not to set
your monthly budget too high or too low initially.
Too high, and you’ll be out of money before you have
time to get through the learning curve; too low, and
you won’t generate enough traffic, or have enough
hits to split and test keywords. Be willing to put
the money in to get the desired results.
Know the rules. Every major search engine offers a
paid placement program, but there are different
requirements for each engine. Know the procedures,
and follow them. Not following proper formats is a
sure way to have your ad campaign delayed. Also keep
in mind the search engines’ criteria are constantly
evolving, so stay up-to-date and know the trends
(think stock market.)
Share the knowledge. Your search advertising
resource is armed with valuable information, so
spread the knowledge. Sit with the developer (and if
applicable, copywriter) to review results and plan
organic keyword strategies accordingly.
Effective search advertising goes beyond counting
click-throughs to include planning, production,
reporting and analysis on current, past and future
campaigns.
Alongside Search advertising: Directory advertising.
Search advertising takes time – there’s no way
around it. But there is another highly effective,
yet inexpensive method that does not require daily
monitoring. A Featured Listing in an Industry
Directory practically runs itself. You provide a
logo, company message, and contact information, and
the ad is live within 24 hours. It costs, in many
vertical markets, a few hundred dollars for the
entire year, with no set up charges, maintenance
fees, pay-per-click costs or minimum monthly
expenses.
Like search advertising, Featured Listings target
pre-qualified buyers in your industry and produce
immediate results. Check results anytime, with the
Online Advertiser Center. You’ll also save valuable
time by not having to manage daily budgets and not
worrying about being out-bid and pushed off the
first page.
Working Hand-in-Hand. Search advertising, alongside
Industry Directory advertising, are both flexible,
effective, and affordable marketing tools, so take
advantage of both.
---Source: MediaBrains March 17, 2008
issue at www.mediabrains.com
|
|
|
Melissa Data
|
 |
| Enhance your
website, software or database with
easy-to-integrate data quality programming tools
and web services. |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Save money on postage using leading
mail preparation software and other
direct marketing products. |
|
|
|
|
 |
Update & standardize addresses and
find out more about contacts in your
database.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Find new customers perfect for your
business with our online and
specialty mailing lists.
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Locate the business information you
need such as ZIP Codes, address
verification, maps.
|
|
|
|
|
