Despite the tough economy and the fact that many companies are cutting portions of their budgets, most are maintaining their presence online and adopting an even more competitive, aggressive approach. The following tips can be utilized to help differentiate your pay-per-click (PPC) advertising/contextual advertising strategy from your competitors’.

1. Evaluate the messaging your competition is using within their PPC and contextual ads, and determine how to make your creative stronger. It’s got to really stand out. For example, use questions, customer testimonials and of course your strongest offer within your ad text.

2. Consider going beyond text ads and using formats such as PPC expandable ads and video ads while keeping the tips mentioned above in mind.

3. Research variations of keywords for which the competition is not showing up. This will ensure you are not paying as high of a cost-per-click (CPC) and that you are receiving a greater share of visibility within the online space.

4. Consider specific targeting methods such as geo-targeting, demographic targeting and targeting specific times of the day with your ads. This can help your dollar go farther and strengthen your online presence.
 
These are just some of the ideas that can be used to help your search engine marketing (SEM) strategy stand out from the competition; however, the most important thing to keep in mind is to continually monitor and optimize your strategy. This will ensure your results are as strong as they can be, and that can be the greatest way you differentiate your organization from its competitors.

What is it, and how does it work?
SearchWiki is a new tool that Google has unveiled allowing users who are logged into Google accounts to customize their search results.

Now, in addition to searching, you have the ability to:

• Move your favorite search results to the top of the listings
• Add a URL to appear along with Google’s results for certain searches
• Remove search results you don’t consider useful
• Make public comments about search results

One thing to note, however, is that the public comments are the only customizations that will appear to other users. If you move your website to the top of the results, you are the only one who will see that.

Sounds great, but what are the drawbacks?
As with all new technology, some people are resistant to embrace the change. One of the biggest complaints about Google’s SearchWiki is the lack of an opt-out button. The only way to turn SearchWiki “off” is to log out of your Google account. Others complain that the addition of the SearchWiki buttons make the notoriously uncluttered Google search interface too messy and confusing.

There is also the possibility that users will leave public comments that are inappropriate or profane, and of course spammers will take this opportunity to get their comments posted.

Also, some claim that privacy is compromised because public comments include your user name, comment, and the exact term you searched.

So what does all this mean to me?
Marketers will be able to reap some benefits from SearchWiki, such as being able to read comments left about their websites and seeing how many times their websites have been promoted to the top of the page or removed from results. Only a limited number of comments are displayed, however, and Google is not disclosing what determines which comments are shown.

Google’s goal for introducing SearchWiki is to make the search experience more user-friendly and enjoyable by giving searchers the ability to tailor the results to meet their needs. If, in fact, you do perform the same searches over and over again with the intent of going to the same website every time, this will make your search experience better. But isn’t the purpose of searching to find new information? What’s your take on it?

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It seems more than ever marketers are striving to make the most of their marketing bucks. If you’ve previously run search engine marketing (SEM) programs, one of the best ways to stretch your dollar is to evaluate your campaigns’ past performance. Here are a few questions to ask when optimizing your current SEM campaign:

·     What type of traffic did your previous campaign drive? If you were satisfied with the number and quality of the leads you were receiving, then it’s safe to assume you can continue down the same path; however, if the leads didn’t necessarily give you the results you were looking for, consider the strategy of your past campaign. For a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaign, you may need to revisit the keyword strategy to determine what terms converted well. For an organic optimization (or SEO) program, see what position your website was showing up in, and try being more aggressive with any terms that aren’t performing to your expectations.

·     Did your cost-per-lead remain steady and/or decrease over time? If the answer to this question is yes, and the leads you have pulled in are qualified, then you’re probably on the right track. However, if your cost-per-lead increased over time, you might be aggressively bidding on PPC campaign terms that are not necessarily worth the increased cost-per-click. You might also need to evaluate your current media tactics and creative as prospects can sometimes get tired of seeing the same thing in the same places. Another place to look is your registration page. Think about whether it is necessary to collect all of the information required in your registration form, and decide if you can collect some of it later down the road. If you don’t absolutely need the information from your prospects, don’t ask for it.

·     Where was the majority of your budget spent? Ideally, you want to spend your money in places you will get the most qualified leads. Hopefully you’re tracking conversions, because if too much of your PPC budget was spent on keywords that weren’t driving conversions, then in your next campaign, you should focus on bidding on specific keywords that are more likely to convert.

Once you’ve answered these questions, you will be able to identify your campaigns’ areas of strength and areas for improvement to optimize your next SEM campaign. Stick to what works and learn from your past campaigns, but don’t forget to incorporate new ideas into the mix as the industry is constantly changing.

Can search engine marketing (or SEM) continue to sustain itself in the current economic slump? Here’s what some industry experts have to say…

A recent issue alert from BtoB Magazine reveals how search engine marketing remains strong despite the economic downturn. A new Covario study shows 32% growth for Q3 year over year for paid search in North America, while Forrester Research projects that paid search will grow 26% this year alone. Evan Andrews, an interactive marketing analyst with Forrester, said, “Because of its inherent accountability, search offers a safe haven for marketers and advertisers who are pushed by the recession to meet some pretty aggressive goals. You can track every cent and every click.”

Considering the current state of the economy and how some marketing budgets are being cut, it’s more important than ever for marketing tactics to be measurable. Take a glance at how digital tactics are affected during a recession in this MarketingSherpa chart:

My take? It’s no coincidence that advertisers are utilizing lower cost, measurable digital marketing tactics to maintain visibility and customer relationships. It’s critical to engage with smart marketing tactics that provide the best ROI for your business. That’s the bottom line.

Where has the time gone? It has been over a year since you last updated the metadata so important to your website’s search engine optimization (SEO), you can’t remember when the content on your site was last updated and some of your pay-per-click (PPC) advertising keywords seem a little stale. Now is the time to see which keywords have been performing, revamp your keyword list and get a refreshed search engine marketing strategy rolled out.

Start off by doing a little investigation on the success of your last keyword strategy.

Phase 1: Research

·      Review your site in-depth. Have you updated content or removed content? Are you keeping pace with trends in your industry?

·      Glance at your key competitors’ websites. Are they using different language and keywords throughout their content or metadata? Reviewing their sites may spark additional ideas for your keyword strategy. 

·      Pull analytics reports looking at non-paid and paid keywords.  Consider if all of these terms are still relevant, or if there are new terms you haven’t considered before.

·      Use keyword tools to gather recommendations of adjectives, synonyms, plurals, etc.

·      Take a look your organic and paid visibility. Are you getting exposure for the keywords you consider most important? If not consider how to make those words a higher priority in your refreshed keyword strategy.

Phase 2: Creating the Universe

After gathering results from your research it is time to begin creating a keyword universe.

·      Pull search popularity.

·      Consider keyword length (keep in mind that about 85% of searches are comprised of queries 4 words or less).

·      Take a look at the competition and relevancy of keywords by performing searches to better  understand the landscape.

·      Consider user behavior. Remember to put yourself in the searcher’s shoes while reviewing and updating your keyword strategy. What you think of as the perfect keyword may not be how the actual searcher sees your products, offerings or site.

Phase 3: Narrowed Recommendations

You have an entire list of potential keywords, and now you need to slim it down.

·      Analyze and weigh all of the factors considered when working on the universe phase.

·      Determine which words get the green light, and which keywords get removed, based on this process.

Once you have analyzed all the keywords and decided which ones to move forward with it is now time to update content, refresh metadata and revise your PPC campaigns. Happy optimizing!

Companies continue to utilize search engine marketing (SEM) to promote their products and services. Why? The simple fact is that prospects, as a result of the current economic conditions, are evaluating their purchasing decisions more closely than ever before.

In fact, prospects are now tasked with making smarter purchasing decisions. Faced with shrinking budgets, or simply calls to be more careful spenders, they are taking more steps to ensure that their purchases will 100% satisfy their business needs. 

One of these steps is researching and evaluating their potential purchases online. An online venue allows prospects to evaluate options from multiple vendors. A well designed search engine marketing program will help educate your prospects, and ultimately, help make them more comfortable in selecting your product. Providing information and education is one of the most important things to do in the sales cycle.

Because of all of this, now is an important time to start, maintain, or even increase your search engine marketing efforts. If your company isn’t showing up for the searches your prospects are conducting, you are creating one more obstacle between your prospects and your services.

If our recent series of posts on e-mail marketing hasn’t convinced you yet, check out these findings, courtesy of an eMarketer article from October 15th based on MarketingSherpa research:

Highlights of the full story include:

• E-mail ad spending was up 15% to $230 million during the first half of 2008 compared with the first half of 2007.
• As of Q1 2008, online marketers in the US said they were least likely to decrease e-mail marketing spending in case of a recession. Just 5% said they would cut their spending on e-mail if times got tight, compared with 41% who said they would cut display ads.

It seems e-mail isn’t going anywhere… at least not yet.

With businesses investing more and more in interactive marketing efforts, it seems like there are hundreds of new e-newsletters popping up every day. How do you know which ones to subscribe to? Which ones are helpful, and which ones will only take up space in your inbox? Below is a list of some of my favorite e-newsletters available today and details on how they manage to stay on top with new competitors emerging all of the time.

·         MediaPost’s SearchINSIDER

o   INSIDER guarantees good content in a short, easy-to-read format. The blog is available through free subscription. It is sent to your inbox every day and provides valuable information about the search engine industry. Topics range from tips on word-of-mouth branding to social media marketing and even Google engine updates.

http://www.mediapost.com/blogs/search_insider/

·         ROI REVOLUTION

o   This bi-weekly newsletter offers great tips and tricks for Google AdWords and Analytics in particular. Its ‘how-to’ format helps with quick fixes and increases in efficiency for your business or your clients.  ROI REVOLUTION also offers new tools and webinars to boost effectiveness within Analytics.

http://www.roirevolution.com/

·         MarketingVox

o   A daily blast of up-to-date product launches and improvements sets MarketingVox ahead of the pack. This daily newsletter offers information regarding the hottest social media sites, examines how top news headlines relate to the marketing world and lists marketing job opportunities throughout the country. A quick sign-up on the site provides access to thousands of relevant articles. The search function even allows you to see how many articles will be available if you narrow down your query. Keeping up with the latest news from Google, Yahoo! and others is easy with MarketingVox.

http://www.marketingvox.com

·         OnlineSPIN

o   OnlineSPIN offers daily articles from a select group of advertising professionals. Topics include what kind of computer to buy and specific search engine updates. The blog environment of OnlineSPIN allows readers to comment and interact with the authors. This is a great resource for marketers to jump into the minds of other professionals and play off of their advice and opinions.

http://www.mediapost.com/blogs/spin/

·         MarketingSherpa

o   Sherpa offers articles on just about any topic imaginable in the marketing industry. Case studies are available as well as access to events and speaking opportunities. You do not even have to subscribe to the site to gain access. Specific articles are available to anyone for up to seven days before a subscription is required. Sherpa also releases free reports and testimonials for anyone to view.

http://www.marketingsherpa.com

·         Yahoo! Search Marketing Blog

o   This search engine-sponsored blog offers a variety of articles about increasing your effectiveness on the Yahoo! Search Marketing program. This is also the place to come in search of Yahoo! spider updates and the latest changes and feature additions.  A quick read of a couple of the latest articles could potentially deliver better results within the site.

http://www.ysmblog.com/

·         MediaPost’s emailINSIDER

o   Another great source from MediaPost. EmailINSIDER delivers top news in the email industry. The articles focus on fast and easy ways to improve email accuracy within the online marketing industry. Most of the editorials offer bulleted lists of important things to consider when planning and evaluating an email campaign.

http://www.mediapost.com/blogs/email_insider/

·         Google Alerts

o   Google provides a customized way to get the latest information on whatever your topic of interest may be. You do not even need a Google account. The alert feature allows you to choose whatever search item you want, the type of search you want performed, the frequency you wish to receive your emails and the email address you want them delivered. Google puts your alerts in an email and sends them adhering to your previously defined requests. Anything from your name to the latest in the social media environment is searchable with Google Alerts.

http://www.google.com/alerts

What e-newsletters do you rely on to learn the latest marketing news?

Over the past month, we’ve been covering topics related to email - from benchmarks to best practices. Now MarketingSherpa has issued a new Guide with research in which marketers reveal top strategies for email during an economic downturn.

They offer a timely, special fourteen-page PDF as a free excerpt from the Guide. It includes:

• Stats showing email’s resurgence as a marketing tactic during the economic downturn
• Marketers’ attitudes toward email budgets and correlation with performance
• An eyetracking heatmap on how to overcome image-blocking
• And an outline of opportunities for international email marketing

According to MarketingSherpa, a down economy means more email. It’s low cost, targeted and effectively reaches prospects and current customers. Of course, an “enthusiasm for email in the downtown is going to mean greater competition at the inbox,” which makes your job more difficult. What’s going to differentiate your message? It better be good.

Another good point? Consumers want special treatment for opting in to your list. Your email content better include real benefits, like special pricing, and better be considerate, allowing recipients to customize how frequently they receive messages.

Compelling imagery won’t guarantee the success of your email effort. MarketingSherpa includes heatmaps that show it can be distracting, actually stealing attention from important content.

Lastly, large companies should be paying attention to the foreign email addresses on their lists. For half of the large organizations keeping tabs on the percent of their email list located outside of North America, 15% are foreign addresses. And 35% have email lists with more than 30% of the addresses located outside North America. The U.S. dollar may have fallen over the last several years, but American-based products and services are showing an appeal across many markets - machined products, high-tech equipment and even professional services. Now might be the best time to take advantage of overseas opportunities.

Be sure to download the .PDF to get the full story.