Google Seminar Highlights

Hunt-mode Marketing: Google Seminar Executive Summary

On Wednesday, Ian hosted a web seminar on Successful Campaigns Using Google and Overture.

Here are some key points:

The competition is already using these marketing tools to increase client ROI. Marketers spent $3 billion on "paid search engine" advertising in 2004, $4 billion expected in 2005.

Search Engines are the top online method used by consumers to research a product for purchase with 350 million searches conducted daily.

Killer campaigns integrate PR, Interactive, Brand, Creative and Media. They are planned and executed and then TUNED right from the start. A perfect situation at one instant may be completely wrong as little as a few hours later.

Clients have a choice: SEM Agency or Traditional Agency
SEM Agencies: Key Benefit – EFFICIENCY
Traditional Agencies: Key Benefits – Creative, Project coordination, Testing, Budget transfer
Must get buy-in from whatever internal departments need to be on board to facilitate both SEO and SEM.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) vs. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): SEM is like advertising, you can turn it on and off - it involves selecting and purchasing ads linked to specific keywords. SEO is like PR, you hope your large upfront investment pays off over time - SEO is about making your site search engine friendly.

Planning: Explore the Mind of your Target Market: KEYWORD STRATEGY.

Success Metrics: Base them on business realities and recognize the customer buying cycle, many consumers use search engines to LEARN before they buy.
Longer phrases tend to be further along on the buying cycle. The more specific one is in a search, the more they know about what they want, the more you should focus their landing page on securing a purchase. The less specific one is in a search, the less they know about what they want, the more opportunity you have to educate them. You should tailor the landing pages accordingly.

List of strategies to be implemented in chronological order:
Start
Cost Per Action/ ROI- based bidding
Keyword Expansion
Blended Metric Customization
Process Customized Strategy
Copy Testing
Landing Page Testing
Creative Coupling
Offer Testing

Maximize your ad media spending and PR to drive search
Adjust campaigns over time: it's all about TESTING.
See Ian for the complete set of slides, seminar recording and transcript.

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