Pay Per Click Advertizing Inflation and a Call for a Revolution

By Noam Bleiweiss (PPC Tech)

I don’t normally do this, but it’s time for a revolution. And since – apparently — no one else is willing to lead this one, I’m forced to take the reins. You see, PPC doesn’t have to be as competitive or expensive as it currently is. All it takes is some cooperation and teamwork, and we’ll all be seeing positive results in no time.

An ill-fated occurrence

PPC Inflation is a recent (and unfortunate) phenomenon that has been – to the delight of Google and friends – occurring for more and more helpless keywords. As you PPC players may have noticed, the cost per-click necessary to maintain an above-the-fold position keeps rising. Don’t you see that this is exactly what they want?? This must stop!

PPC Inflation Defined

PPC Inflation takes place when more and more site owners decide to advertise online, blindly bidding for the top “Sponsored Link” position. The more inexperienced competitors use this medium, the more expensive it will continue to get for everyone involved. When one schmuck comes in with a super-high bid, all our CPCs are forced up along with theirs! It’s just not fair. Companies should have to pass a cognitive exam before being allowed to launch a PPC campaign. Alas, since that is not in the best interest of the powers that be, I am forced to call for a revolution. Let’s all put down our weapons, and team up to stop PPC Inflation once and for all!

World Series of PPC

You see, Pay Per Click Advertising is much like the lovely game of poker. Beside the fact that it is ultra-competitive and (surprisingly) addicting, a main pattern that pros in both fields will notice is that it is more favorable to compete with other professionals. In poker, novices tend to over-bet, often forcing you to put more money into the pot than you would have liked. In PPC, newbies tend to over-bid, automatically aiming for the top spot, and often forcing EVERYONE’S cost per-click to be more than they would have like.

Lower Prices for Everyone

Now I am no Doyle Brunson (a.k.a. Legendary Poker Champion, to our non-gambling readers) but I do have a dream. While I am in no position to write a “PPC Bible,” what I am able to do is give a slogan that could (read: should) begin a PPC revolution: Sometimes it’s wiser to not aim for #1. This may go against what your Pee Wee coaches instilled in your mind, but it will make the PPC world a better place for us all. Take it, love it, steal it, and spread it. If we all learn to play like professionals, we will all profit like professionals. And if that seems too complicated, you should probably just hire a professional.

Viva la revolution!

PPC is relaxing?

By Charles Queen

PPC is relaxing due to the focus that is needed for each campaign. For example when I start looking into a campaign my mind starts racing about what changes I can make to see what works. The great thing is the results come right there so you know what else you need to do.

I like to zone out and not think about anything else just about improving on what I did. I treat it like a football game. You have 4 quarters and break that down into a week. Monday and Tuesday are the 1^st quarter of a game. You are just getting familiar with the team (campaign) and feeling out your competitor. In the second quarter you know what you need to do to win the game and you make adjustments to be in the game in the later part. (Wednesday).

In the 3^rd quarter you just attack and let it fly aggressively and take the lead (Conversions) from the changes you made during the 1^st and 2^nd quarter. When the 4^th quarter hits (Friday) you are in the lead and closing out the competitor. Saturday and Sunday are the practice days when you go through and prepare for the upcoming week.

That is why PPC is relaxing for me.

The “Big Picture” is truly worth 1,000 words: Analytics

By Rich Scaglione

What does your website’s picture look like?  Nice images, great content and relevant links perhaps. These are all good things when it comes to the design of the site, but let’s talk about the “Big Picture” that is happening behind the scenes. 

Although it is very important and necessary to apply search engine optimization techniques to your website in order to be visible and increase traffic, it is just as important to understand what is going on behind the scenes.     

Web analytics builds the entrance into the mechanics of what is going on in the intangible world, the world in which you cannot see.  This world is vital to a successful website, because it provides a vehicle to connect you with your visitors, while attracting many more.  

How much would it be worth to you to know the behavior of your visitors by which pages they were clicking on most, or how long they stayed on that page?

Web analytics not only builds this entrance into the intangible, it takes you into the minds of your visitors.  Great success can come from knowing every move of the people who are your potential customers.  This information can lead you to better streamline your site in order to maximize your profits. 

For example, what if you had thousands of visitors, but no purchases?  How would you know what to do next?  If you made money for every person that visited your site, then truly this would be an ideal world.  But, we know that is not the way it works.  How much would it be worth to you to get a glimpse into why your visitors were leaving your website?   I would say that was pretty valuable information, perhaps even more than 1,000 words or even $1000 dollars!  

Web analytics will keep you abreast as to which aspects of your website are flourishing and which are failing.  It determines your key performance indicators, as well as the demographics of your visitors.  What good is it to be on page 1 of Google, if you don’t know your conversion rates or your target audience? 

Your business could be doing well, but how do you know if it wasn’t destined to be pulling in 10 times more profit?  You wouldn’t.  Are you starting to see my point?   Wouldn’t you walk out of a store that didn’t cater to your needs?   Time is precious, and your visitors do not want to waste any time.  You have to know what they want, and what they like.  They value their time.  

So, get with the “Big Picture”.  Find out what your customers want, or who they are.  Streamline your website to get the most out of every dollar you have spent.  Spend less time making blind revisions to your site, and make changes that you know will truly count, not just because you feel it in your gut…but because you have the facts and the science to back it up.  

Search engine optimization and web analytics…it’s a two-edged sword.  They go hand in hand.  Don’t be left in the dust of your competitors who have a pulse on their customers.  Conversion rates, page views, visitor behavior, KPI’s, repeat and new visitors, impressions, and visibility time…get with the program!  Get with the “big picture”!  This is what is happening now.  Web analytics, in my opinion, is a necessary step to an internet success story.  Even if you are successful already, you can see how much more success you could achieve.  You may just be very surprised.  

So how much do you think the “Big Picture” is worth now?  Yup, you guessed it…priceless.

For more information about web analytics software, check out these websites:

www.clicktracks.com

www.omniture.com

www.google.com/analytics

Up To Speed with the Internet Giants

Up To Speed with the Internet Giants

By Greg Schwartz 

While lazing and watching TV this weekend I came across an amazing documentary that helped shed some light on perhaps the most revolutionary technology to ever exist; the Internet.  The documentary, entitled “Download:
The True Story of the Internet”, explained the behind the scenes story of the visionaries who built this new world that has radically changed our lives, technologically, culturally, commercially, and socially. 

Almost all of their tales began at Stanford, where these twenty something year old founders of Yahoo, eXcite, Amazon, and Google brought fresh ideas to the table….ideas that would turn the entire infrastructure of business on its head, and return the historical powerhouse corporations to infancy in competing for the hottest eReal-Estate. 

The movie did a great job of explaining how Google became a fixture in the ecommerce world, showing how their algorithms wisely took links into consideration when determining website importance.  The film also hinted at new methods of viral marketing that would allow companies to rise in the ranks by creating a social buzz.  I highly recommend the movie to anyone looking to get up to speed with the new e-world.  Here is a schedule of when the documentary is on tv again.  

So now we stand in an interesting place.  Technology is changing so rapidly that there aren’t any constants anymore.  It’s reached the point that in order for businesses to remain competitive, they are almost required to stay on top of emerging technological trends.  Soon not having a Social Media campaign will be like having refused to create a website ten years ago, swearing that it is just a passing trend and a waste of marketing dollars.   But it remains nearly impossible for a company juggling a hundred tasks to stay current with all the latest jargon and trends. 

That’s one of the reasons I am happy to work for a firm that does all that work for companies, and enables them to stay on top of e-commerce no matter which way the wind blows that week.  It’s the ultimate learning experience to be able to pick the brains of the ChaosMap techies, people who were actually there working for the Internet Giants and know that world like the back of their hands.  I’m getting nerdier by the day…..and I like it.  

The Search Marketing Trinity: Brand, Category and Geography

It is important for both clients and online marketers to remember that Google, YAHOO and MSN haven’t invented Marketing Strategies and Methodologies, although there is a healthy ongoing debate as to whether they are actively reinventing them that is occurring daily.

Online Media Buying Campaigns have simply repurposed traditional marketing and advertising concepts – by integrating them with a new and emerging internet based delivery platform and technology, Internet Search Marketing.

“Local Search” and “Metro Targeting” are recent examples of this evolutionary phenomenon being ported over from traditional media distribution channels to online marketing delivery platforms. Although these strategies are relatively new advances for online marketing professionals, geo targeted strategies and options are old news to the Radio and Cable TV Spot Market Professionals and Media Buyers.

Brand, Category and Geography – Marketing Strategy and Brand Positioning 

Identifying and using Brand, Category and Geography as thematic elements of a Search Engine Marketing Campaign allows for both a strategic and a structural alignment between the Advertising Client and their Online Marketing Agency.

Using these targeting parameters will better focus each Client’s Marketing Plan and Strategy and more effectively manage their online ad budget, whether the account and their clientele are local, regional, national or international.

Information vs. Interpretation

I saw an Ad for a financial company recently on TV. It stating that success in the financial marketplace was 40% information and 60% interpretation and that the level of skilled interpretation the advertiser was offering to its clients was its added value benefit.

This holds true for online marketing too – information is extremely important but it is the interpretation of the information that leads to the effective creation of successful online marketing strategies. 

Information

Brand, Category and Geography are informational elements.

Brand represents product identity, product associations, positioning strategy, added value, company profile, brand history and brand perception. If a company is a new company – than there is no “brand perception” and building a brand and a brand strategy is the task at hand.

Category provides data on the competition/key competitors as well as keyword strategies and inventories, Ad display channels, trade mags/websites and social networking opportunities.

Geography focuses on local, regional and national ad campaigns as well as other demographic informational targets like male/female, age targets, trend data and distribution channel related geo-delivery factors.

Interpretation

The strategic interpretation of this collated information allows for a trusted and detailed communication between the client and their online marketing agency – centered on goal setting and on obtaining specific, measurable results for the client’s products and/or services through online marketing advertising channels. 

The integration of traditional marketing concepts with online marketing distribution channels allows for innovative planning and engagement – while simultaneously creating standards with milestones for the client and the marketing agency to track and analyze over a given time period or during the run of a specific ad campaign.

Benefits to Clients using Brand, Category and Geo Targeting

• A unique marketing strategy and plan developed for each client
• Effective integration of traditional and emerging marketing technologies
• Strategic implementation of online marketing via multi-disciplinary team
• Efficient management of client’s resources and time 
• Targeted traffic that converts to sales

By: Terry Hayes – Sr. Creative, SEO Copywriter – www.ChaosMap.com  Email Terry with comments and feedback at:  thayes@chaosmap.com    

SEO Analysis: Competitive Advantage or Corporate Espionage?

We have always maintained that business strategy is the most important aspect of any search marketing effort. Throwing SEO/PPC tasks against a wall and hoping something sticks is a recipe for disaster.Before we engage a client we focus on gaining a deeper understanding of the business goals and objectives in the short term and the future.What direction is the company going?With a clear direction, we then point our tools at the competition.  How are they positioned?  What tactics are they leveraging? This is a valuable part of forming a counter-strategy to attain the goals the client has established. Competitive intelligence is a necessary component for any marketing effort. Competitive search intelligence is no different and can yield eye-opening information.Many things can be discovered by looking under the hood of a competitor’s Web site, such as the keywords with which they’re winning business. On many occasions we also get an idea of new marketplaces, products or strategies the competition is focusing on long before these tactics are completely introduced to the market.To determine your online competition type your tier 1 keyword into Google.  Pick the top three sites.  Use the link popularity checker at marketleap.com to see how your site compares to the top three in terms of incoming links.  You want to seek out sites with the highest Google rankings and lowest amount of incoming links.Visit your competitors’ sites.  Is the site easy to navigate?  Do they have content and clear call to action statements that encourage conversion?  Are they using long tail keywords?  What techniques are they using that you can also leverage, or even get ahead?If you are in business you are in a competitive battle.  Begin to think of SEO as an important strategic tool.  Include your SEO vendor in your strategic planning and see what they can learn about the competition that you might not already know.

You Lost Them at Hello, Web sites Are for More than Generating Traffic

You lost them at Hello. Now what do you do? You are finally getting someInternet traffic on your site, with higher organic rankings or PPC activity. So what! Traffic alone will not pay the bills.Let’s be honest, the average site visitor will give you only five seconds to draw them in, to peak their curiosity. To maximize the value of this new traffic you must get these visitors to do something, to take action.Ask yourself these questions, with the correct answers you are on your way to higher click-throughs and conversion rates. What is the focal point of my landing page or Web site? Am I getting visitors to focus on what is important or am I distracting them? Do I have any calls to action, meaning does anything on my landing page prompt the visitor to do something? Have I tested different content, text sizes and other attributes for user appeal?There is an enormous amount of psychological differences in user base and target audiences, are you testing to find out what appeals to your specific audience? Is there any sense of urgency to prompt action?Answering these questions and leveraging your answers will have you on your way to keeping your visitors interested and helping them take action.

One Size Fits All Search Marketing?

What is it with this industry we know as search marketing?It seems customer after customer has worked with a previous vendor that when asked about their services simply hands the customer a “Chinese menu” price list and lets them order a solution a la carte.How can this method work?How can you be sure of successful results when you are buying the same size solution offering as every other company in any industry is buying? If you sell products are your needs the same as someone that provides service? Are you in the consumer market or business to business? Every company has different goals, objectives and needs.And further, every company is at a different maturation phase of search marketing.Do yourself a favor, pass on the two egg rolls and chicken fried rice and partner with a firm that is interested in your business, the direction you are heading as an organization and is willing to tailor a solution specifically for you. Make them demonstrate they know you, your competition and your marketplace before beginning an engagement.One size never fits everyone and your business should not be forced into a too big or too small solution but one that is tailored just for you.Tip: Find out the top 10 questions to ask before hiring an SEO consultant.

Is your Web site Pretty or Profitable?

photo credit: Koshyk
Every week I am reminded of a common problem many businesses don’t even realize they have—the quintessential form over function problem. Many companies approach their Web site design from the perspective of the consumer only. 

Unfortunately customers have very little impact on how you rank within the search engines.  And without being ranked, those all-important customers will not find you.

“Businesses tend to spend it all to look cool online and not a dime on how the site can be found,” laments Gartner Research Vice President Gene Alvarez.“

“At least one-third of the design budget should be allocated to site discovery on things like keywords, reviewing pages for Web-crawler-friendly attributes and the development of a site map.”

When making the decision to launch a new site or embark on a re-design answer these three questions and you will be on your way to better findability:

• What is your objective for the newly designed site?
• What critical business information do want the search engines to find?
• Have you established a budget for search marketing?

Spending money on a new site which is invisible to your future customers is a wasted investment.  For more information download our Guide to Findability here.

Back to Basics: What is Search Engine Marketing and Why Is It Important?

Traffic is important, but even more critical factors are click-through and conversion. Traffic is great, but traffic alone on your site does not pay the bills.What makes the ROI in Search Marketing so powerful is when visitors to your site are encouraged through best practices to click through, or look deeper into the site. Remember that your site is like a virtual salesperson. It must attract visitors, engage them in conversation, answer objections, present solutions to their needs and finally close the deal.Last and even most critical is the ability to generate and improve upon Web site traffic conversions. In a conversion, a visitor agrees to take the next step, to sign up for a white paper or account and even to purchase something from the site. This is the close, and without it you simply have visitors rather than customers.A properly thought out and executed strategy will include all of the facets mentioned above. This comprehensive approach can lead to dramatic improvements in all of these areas.