For savvy direct marketers, search engine marketing (also referred to as “inquiry marketing” by insiders and ad agencies) is close to direct marketing nirvana. It’s fast, it’s direct, it’s measurable on many levels, it’s immediate and it naturally includes countless opportunities to increase performance and decrease costs.
Despite multiple advantages for direct marketers, I’m continually surprised to see so many brands that are not using search marketing to its full advantage—let alone pushing the limits of performance by using some smart but simple strategies.
While those of you already buying space on Google, MSN and other search engines have noticed increased competition and higher per-click prices in the past few months, there’s still plenty of room for growth—and plenty you can do to make your search marketing efforts outperform everyone’s expectations.
Here are a few tips to get you started:
Buy Obscure Keywords
A marketer for a small ecommerce Web site told me earlier this year that 60 percent of his traffic comes from keywords and/or phrases that are used just once every three months. While competition for high-volume keywords is fierce (driving cost-per-click prices higher and higher), there is often little competition for obscure words. Stitch enough of those words together and you’ll get a steady stream of cost-efficient new traffic.
Buy Local Keywords
A real estate agent in Bend, Ore., receives more than 3,000 hits to her Web site each month from search engines—but not by buying keywords like “real estate” and “homes for sale.” Instead, she buys hundreds of keywords related to Bend, the surrounding area, even local places of interest. The result? When a consumer types “Bend Real Estate” into his browser, this smart agent’s ad appears higher than those of advertisers who simply bought “Real Estate.” Adding hundreds, even thousands, of localized keywords can be time consuming, but the resulting increase in qualified traffic is often worth it.
Seasonal Keywords
Did you use a search engine last month to find something holiday-related? Did you do any searches last spring for summer vacation information? Your customers think seasonally and as a smart marketer, so should you. Think about how your products are used during the year and which seasonal keywords might be relevant. Take advantage of the increase in seasonal searches to increase your clicks all year long.
Misspellings
Very few marketers buy misspelled keywords, even knowing that not every prospective customer is a spelling champ. For instance, just because someone types “hamburger” into the browser, it doesn’t mean that an ad from McDonald’s or a mail-order steak company wouldn’t be welcome. Like obscure keywords, this area is ripe for use by smart marketers.
Copyrights
Did you know that many search engines will prohibit other companies from buying trademarked keywords? If you can provide proof to a search engine that you hold that copyright, the keyword is yours. Take full advantage.
Ad Copy and Taglines (or Remember Your Brand)
Some of your ad copy and/or taglines might be copyrighted as well. Even if they aren’t, make sure that all reasonable words, phrases and taglines from your marketing and ad campaigns are included in your keyword list. Although search engines aren’t the perfect branding vehicle, they can help build and extend the value and performance of your brand.
Different Keywords, Different Ad Copy
Too many search marketers use the same set of copy across their entire campaign. Don’t fall into that trap. On high-volume keywords where competition for the click is fierce, think carefully about what the consumer is looking for. Identify their problems and write your ad copy to provide the solutions.
Different Keywords, Different Landing Pages
As an example, Amazon.com buys plenty of keywords across search engines. But it rarely sends clicks to the Amazon.com home page. If someone is searching for jewelry, take them straight to the jewelry page. This may seem simple, but many marketers simply aren’t doing it. If your search marketing is focused on lead generation, make sure you don’t send everyone to the same page. Even if the basic function is the same (like collecting names and contact information for follow-up), make sure the copy and design of the landing page match the user’s original search. I guarantee you’ll see increased conversion performance.
Don’t Worry About Top Placement
Many search marketers still believe that top placement on a results page is always best. But depending on your product and marketing goals, a second or third placement among paid spots will yield just as many (if not more!) clicks for less money. For a long time, the second paid spot at the top of Google pages yielded a higher clickthrough rate than the top spot. That’s more traffic for a lower cost-per-click.
Make an Offer They Can’t Refuse
If competition for some of your keywords is high, make sure your offer stands out in the crowd. Pay close attention to your competitors—what they’re offering, how they’re offering it. What have customers already told you attracts them to your products? What attributes, what incentives make them choose your product over others? If you don’t know, find out. Then use this information to make your offer more compelling.
Don’t Forget Organic Search
Hey, it’s free traffic and just as qualified. What’s more, sites appearing among the top five organic or “natural” placements typically see higher click-through rates than paid placements. Consumer behavior is very divided here. Some consumers respond better to paid advertisers, figuring that companies who pay to be on a particular search page are legitimate and worth exploring. Other consumers prefer sites they feel the search engine has chosen among the best in category. However, since the majority of consumers don’t know the difference between paid and organic placements on the page, it pays to increase your placement on organic search pages to increase your flow of “free leads.”
Remember Your DM Fundamentals
Don’t forget the direct response rules that got you here in the first place. It’s still primarily about list and offer. With search marketing, the list is taken care of for you. Unfortunately, that means the list is also hand-delivered to your competitors. So it’s very important to nail the offer. If you have successful “control” campaigns in other media (direct mail, telemarketing, etc.), test your offers there first and then apply this learning to your online efforts.
Despite the rapid growth of search marketing, the medium is still in its infancy. These days, you go to a search site to find what you’re looking for. Google and AOL have already done a good job of extending the reach of their search technology to other non-search sites and we can expect to see more of this in 2004. In the next two to three years, expect to see search beyond the Internet at a myriad of customer inquiry points—all most likely utilizing the same search results providers you see today.
If you aren’t yet doing search marketing or haven’t tried some of the tips and techniques I’ve outlined above, have no fear. The train hasn’t left the station yet.
That said, I suggest you pack a bag and hop on now.
Matt Heinz is director of marketing for HouseValues Inc., a marketing services company that provides residential real estate agents with technology and marketing solutions. Matt has more than 10 years of consumer and B-to-B marketing experience with technology, real estate and retail products. He has previously held marketing positions at Microsoft, The Boeing Company, Weber Shandwick, The Seattle Mariners and the Washington State Attorney General’s office.
