A buyer’s guide to

Search Engine
Marketing
 What can SEM do for you?

• 87% of web visits come via search engines

• 55% of online purchases originate from search listings

• Search listings outperform banners and tiles by three to one

• Search engine users automatically associate the top listings with

the leading brands

• 16 % of Internet users only look at the first few search results, so

a high position is essential

• 81% of leading companies are allocating more budget to search

engine marketing - because they know it works
 What else can SEM do for you?

An optimised site isn’t just visible on the search engines...

• a higher quality and quantity of visitors

• a bigger online profile
• better results from online and offline marketing
• faster, more intuitive navigation
• efficient customer relationship management
• loyal customers and communities
• lower costs, higher revenues
• up to date competitor intelligence
• a higher volume and value of transactions
• better banner advertising revenues
 SEM in action:

• A luxury brand group fought back against competitors

• A global automotive brand optimised the launch of a new model
• An estate agency network got better results from its TV advertising
• An online share trading company cut its lead generation costs to
just 7 pence
• A travel company got an extra 300,000 web visitors each month
• A computer hardware company made its site faster and easier to
use
 The choices available

A search engine marketing campaign could include:

• Search term/keyword analysis

• Search engine optimisation

• Micro-sites

• Pay-per-click

• Training and consultancy

 Search term analysis
How it works:

• the search engines provide data on what people are asking for
• a subsequent SEM campaign is based on the most appropriate
search terms

Advantages:

• You don’t have to guess what people want

• discovering less popular phrases can save money on PPC
campaigns
• data can also be used to monitor trends, measure awareness,
update site content or define wider marketing messages

Disadvantages:

• raw data needs to be interpreted correctly

• imagination and innovation are also required
 Search engine optimisation

How it works:

• assess the site’s search engine friendliness

• re-engineer the site, from code to content
• add new search engine friendly features
• submit the site and track positions

Advantages:

• increases visibility for more qualified visitors

• optimises content to match visitor expectations
• often makes the site faster and easier to use

Disadvantages

• results can be slow

• up-to-date technical knowledge and skills essential
• no guarantee of positions
 Micro-sites

How it works:

• create a network of search term-specific sites around the home site

• individually research, create, optimise and submit each site
• Each site attracts visitors for a specific search term

Advantages:

• ideal if the home site can’t be changed

• ideal for a segmented product range or target audience
• a solution to the one-listing-per-site rule (i.e. Yahoo!)
• links between sites increase search engine friendliness

Disadvantages

• creating and maintaining the network takes time and money

• sites must be content-rich and correctly submitted to avoid spamming
• in-depth SEO skills and knowledge are essential
• no guarantee of positions
 Pay-per-click

How it works:

• choices include Google AdWords, eSpotting and Overture

• bid for key phrases and positions
• Sponsor listings or
• amend/update bids to deliver best results

Advantages:

• ideal for a hard-to-crawl or hard-to-change site

• listings are seen by the majority of search engine users
• fast and flexible
• often used for ‘interim visibility’ to kick start a longer term SEO
campaign

Disadvantages:

• can be very expensive

• dedicated bid management required
 Trusted Feed
How it works:

• web pages are submitted directly into the search engine’s index every
24 hours
• pages are subject to the usual ranking criteria
• fixed cost-per-click agreed in advance

Advantages

• ideal for large, database or constantly-changing sites

• listing (but not position) is guaranteed
• visitors are taken straight to the content they want
• you only pay for results

Disadvantages:

• only certain sites can use it

• results can’t be guaranteed
• each page must be search term specific and content-rich
 Training and consultancy
How it works:

• in-house staff receive training and support from an SEM specialist

• SEM company acts as project leader

Advantages:

• costs are lower than a serviced optimisation campaign

• maximises in-house skills and knowledge
• reduces the cost and complexity of subsequent campaigns

Disadvantages:

• project management and communication can be a problem

• in-house staff must follow recommendations
• training and support must be on-going to maximise results
 Your SEM strategy

What to bear in mind when you’re putting your campaign together:

• Your budget - are you prepared to pay?

• Your timescales - are you prepared to wait?

• Your site - is it hard-to-crawl or database-driven?

• Your web designers - is the site already search engine friendly?

• Your agency - do they specialise in SEM or outsource?

• Your in-house SEM expertise - how much can you do yourself?

• Your existing SEM activity - what needs to change?

• Your marketing strategy - what do you need to achieve overall?

 What you can do yourself

You will make your site more search engine friendly if you:

• fix any broken links or missing images

• rewrite your tags
• add an on-site search facility
• add a site map
• make your site stickier/more interactive
• check out your competition
• give visitors a warm welcome
• update your content
• track your visitors
• build an opt-in email database
• create community features
 DIY or use a professional?

If you have:

• the time, the expertise and the resources

• to design, format, submit, register and maintain every page of your site
• according to the specific standards and criteria of each search engine
• choose the most appropriate search terms for best results
• manage PPC bids, monitor positions, track visitors
• provide fresh content and re-submit pages to keep listings high
• whilst maintaining your brand integrity and corporate strategy
• and are prepared to repeat the process every time a search engine
changes its rules, which is frequently

• it’s perfectly possible to do your own search engine marketing

 What to look for in an SEM company

Don’t settle for anything less than:

• in-house capabilities and resources

• search engine partnerships/licenses
• proof of results and customer retention
• recent customer references
• ethical techniques
• innovation and leadership
• visitor tracking beyond log file analysis
• an optimised site of their own
• a wide choice of offerings
• hand-tuned, not automated, services
 Warning bells

Never trust an SEM company that:

• guarantees specific search engine positions

• won’t show the licenses for its search engine partnerships
• offers exclusive rights to a particular keyword
• carries out automated page creation or submission
• puts links to their other clients on doorway pages
• doesn't distinguish between search results and ads
• can’t provide detailed position/visitor statistics
• insists on hosting your site
 Getting started

Your responsibilities as a client include:

• understanding what the SEM company is trying to do

• allowing access to your site’s code
• liasing between the SEM company and your web staff
• approving optimised copy and content
• adding search engine friendly features to your site
• paying some up-front costs (i.e. submission fees)
• ensuring that code changes stay in place
• having realistic expectations of results
 The importance of reporting

Make sure your SEM gives you regular feedback on:

• Sources - where visitors are coming from

• Search terms - what visitors are asking for
• Positions - your ranking under each search term
• Unique visitors - people, not page views
• Visitor behaviour - navigation patterns and quit spots
• Session times - how long a visitor spends on each page
• Cost per acquisition - how much you’re paying per visitor
• Cost per conversion - how much you’re paying per customer
 Danger signs

You can start asking questions if:

• any of your pages are banned or blacklisted

• search engine positions don’t last long
• you find the SEM’s name in your site code
• you’re not getting regular progress updates
• your cost-per-acquisition is unprofitable
• your site is down for long periods
• visitor session times are very short
• your sales don’t increase
• you’re not getting return on investment
 Better luck next time

If you want to change suppliers, think about:

• how to manage your SEM in the meantime

• quick fixes to rescue the results
• a solution to a ban or blacklist
• keeping your site search engine friendly
• hosting issues
• what to look for in a new SEM supplier
•Any Any questions?