December 7, 2009 Google launched real-time results and it changed the world of SEO as we all knew it. After reading the news and experiencing it for myself, I was left with a few questions. Does the change present more positive or negative implications to the art and science of SEO? How do I, as an online marketer specializing in SEO, continue to tout to clients the value of SEO and importance of showing up in organic search? In regards to whether the implications are positive or negative, as usual in the world of SEO, it’s a draw. Depending on who you talk to, the answer can go either way. On the other topic though, the vote was almost unanimous; we maintain our value by refocusing what we report as important, and draw inferences on visibility and rank.
So, what is important? Traffic volume and conversions are now the two most important data points of interest. We continue to build trust and value with our clients by proving to them, through data, how our efforts are impacting these metrics. This puts visibility in the area of “inference.” One can infer that if traffic and conversions are increasing in Google, then one has a pretty good ranking in the results. Along with traffic volume and conversions, we should also focus on engagement (time spent on site), bounce rate and link popularity. This is a more streamlined approach to reporting which highlights activity that is relevant to the client.
A study announced today by GroupM Search, comScore and M80, exploring the interplay of search marketing and social media, reveals the dramatic correlation influenced discovery of brands through social media has with search behavior, including more lower-funnel searches and increased paid search click-through-rates (CTR).
The study,“The Influenced: Social Media, Search and the Interplay of Consideration and Consumption,” explored the correlation between social media exposure and search behavior across different verticals, including automotive, consumer packaged goods and telecommunications.
Key findings include:
- Consumers exposed to a brand’s influenced social media and paid search are 2.8x more likely to search for that brand’s products
- There was a 50% CTR increase in paid search when consumers were exposed to both influenced social media and paid search
- There was a 42-point lift in searcher penetration around brand product terms when consumers were exposed to both influenced social media and paid search compared to paid alone
What the study tells us is bigger than correlation, making the topic at large, Discovery. We’ve learned how internet users discover and engage with brands in social media and how that discovery influences search behavior. The findings help us to better understand how the intent expressed by consumers via search is established through social media exposure and the interplay between the two channels.
Of note, it further validates our view that generating upper-funnel awareness and influencing consideration through influenced social media (social media leveraged by a brand advertiser) can produce better down-the-funnel performance with paid media, such as paid search. In our white paper, we expand on the findings and address the value of the synergy between paid, owned and earned media. Additionally, we address the state of media today, challenges advertisers face, and introduce the discussion of Media Delivery and Media Discovery and the new thinking we must consider in making maximizing engagement that drives lower-funnel activity.
As CEO of GroupM Search-The Americas Chris Copeland addresses in the whitepaper,:
“As advertisers come to recognize a need to create greater connections on a one to one level with consumers, they also must acknowledge a shift in their approach to advertising. If they agree with the assessment that media delivery in traditional forms has a limited impact given the threats identified above, then it is equally important to understand the new advertising mandate of media discovery.
Media discovery represents a shift in approach where allowing your brand to be central to the conversation but doing so in a manner that uses your brand, its products and the assets associated with both at the center. Media delivery has been about using buying clout to drive scale and push out paid media to broad swaths of consumers. Media discovery is about using the owned and earned media that a brand can produce to its advantage.”
He later concludes the implications for digital advertising at large:
“At this stage of digital advertising development, the goal has to be investing more intelligently to get people into your brand consideration and drive them through the process to a location well suited for paid media effectiveness, such as paid search.”
On Tuesday, October 6, GroupM Search, comScore and M80 will sharing the findings and implications of the research for the first time publicly. Check it out at SMX East at 1:30 – 2:45 p.m. in Room 1A03.
A study announced today by GroupM Search, comScore and M80, exploring the interplay of search marketing and social media, reveals the dramatic correlation influenced discovery of brands through social media has with search behavior, including more lower-funnel searches and increased paid search click-through-rates (CTR).
The study,“The Influenced: Social Media, Search and the Interplay of Consideration and Consumption,” explored the correlation between social media exposure and search behavior across different verticals, including automotive, consumer packaged goods and telecommunications.
Key findings include:
Consumers exposed to a brand’s influenced social media and paid search are 2.8x more likely to search for that brand’s products
There was a 50% CTR increase in paid search when consumers were exposed to both influenced social media and paid search
There was a 42-point lift in searcher penetration around brand product terms when consumers were exposed to both influenced social media and paid search compared to paid alone
What the study tells us is bigger than correlation, making the topic at large, Discovery. We’ve learned how internet users discover and engage with brands in social media and how that discovery influences search behavior.
The findings help us to better understand how the intent expressed by consumers via search is established through social media exposure and the interplay between the two channels. Of note, it further validates our view that generating upper-funnel awareness and influencing consideration through influenced social media (social media leveraged by a brand advertiser) can produce better down-the-funnel performance with paid media, such as paid search.
In our white paper, we expand on the findings and address the value of the synergy between paid, owned and earned media. Additionally, we address the state of media today, challenges advertisers face, and introduce the discussion of Media Delivery and Media Discovery and the new thinking we must consider in making maximizing engagement that drives lower-funnel activity.
As CEO of GroupM Search-The Americas Chris Copeland addresses in the whitepaper,:
“As advertisers come to recognize a need to create greater connections on a one to one level with consumers, they also must acknowledge a shift in their approach to advertising. If they agree with the assessment that media delivery in traditional forms has a limited impact given the threats identified above, then it is equally important to understand the new advertising mandate of media discovery.
Media discovery represents a shift in approach where allowing your brand to be central to the conversation but doing so in a manner that uses your brand, its products and the assets associated with both at the center. Media delivery has been about using buying clout to drive scale and push out paid media to broad swaths of consumers. Media discovery is about using the owned and earned media that a brand can produce to its advantage.”
He later concludes the implications for digital advertising at large:
“At this stage of digital advertising development, the goal has to be investing more intelligently to get people into your brand consideration and drive them through the process to a location well suited for paid media effectiveness, such as paid search.”
With the changes in the economy, everyone is spending less. From the average consumer up to the Fortune 500 Company, we all are experiencing limited spending powers. As a natural reaction, when faced with any of life’s limitations we tend to expand our imagination and brainstorm new ways of getting things done. We immerse ourselves in the “think mode” of how can I do more with less? This is even true for Search Marketing.
Owing to its fine ability to be measured as well as the high return on investment, SEM has become one of the most resilient areas of marketing. But now, even we, as Search Marketers, are accepting the reality that the budget cuts are affecting us too. We can no longer be so uber-focused on Paid Search as the “end-all-be-all” of online marketing. We are beginning to spread our wings and consider search from a more holistic perspective. This epiphany has shown the light on SEO.
The value of SEO has, for the most part, been undermined because of the time it takes to see the fruits of your labor and the labor itself. SEO as a standalone strategy works well for any brand whose idea of online success is coupled with the commitment to longevity. But SEO, as part of an overall strategy with paid, defines success with increased traffic, brand strength, brand authority and most importantly, cost efficiencies. Now that companies are cutting back on their overall budgets, thus having less to spend in paid search, they are considering SEO as their golden ticket to remain competitive in the online space.
Today, some of you may have noticed that in conjunction with their organic listings, Google has implemented social ranking tools. Now users have the power to promote, remove, comment or add a link to a page that they feel is more relevant for a particular search term. This is similar to the social networking site, Digg where the first page results are based on the thumbs up or down votes cast by members. The difference with the SearchWiki is that your vote is specific to your own secured user experience.
Doing a little research, I’ve found that while people can see the innate good in having this capability, many are skeptical and asking some of the same questions that I have…How long before this gesture to improve personalization will start to impact the overall natural listings and allow us to affect a site’s ranking based on this voting system? If this becomes the case, then how do we keep Pandora’s Box from opening and giving companies a new space and opportunity to unethically push competitors further down in the search results? If this is really about personalization of search, then why are comments made public? What is the real motivation behind this social engagement? Will paid search be impacted at all?
I’ve decided not to open my monthly investment statements. To be honest, I just don’t want to know how much of a hit our retirement and kids’ college savings accounts have taken over the last month. But even without the concrete dollar figures, it seems hard to escape the global economic pity party. Despite any real change to our income or expenses, my household is tightening its belt. We’re paying far more attention to our spending. Even with declining gas prices, we’ve talked ourselves out of holiday trips to see family across the country. Of course, corporations have fallen into this mindset as well. There’s no shortage of business news reporting layoffs, hiring freezes and budget cuts.
But as any coupon-cutting mom knows, it’s not always about spending less. It’s about getting more for your money. Savvy shoppers know where the bargains are and are methodical about planning any shopping campaign. I think companies should take a cue from these shopping champs and ask “how can we spend smarter?”
Search is known as a highly effective marketing channel, but far too many companies are leaving opportunities on the table. Just like your mom would tell you to squeeze all the toothpaste out of the tube, marketers should be asking whether they have squeezed all the value out of their campaigns. Here are three areas where marketers can spend smarter:
December 7, 2009 Google launched real-time results and it changed the world of SEO as we all knew it. After reading the news and experiencing it for myself, I was left with a few questions. Does the change present more positive or negative implications to the art and science of SEO? How do I, as an online marketer specializing in SEO, continue to tout to clients the value of SEO and importance of showing up in organic search? In regards to whether the implications are positive or negative, as usual in the world of SEO, it’s a draw. Depending on who you talk to, the answer can go either way. On the other topic though, the vote was almost unanimous; we maintain our value by refocusing what we report as important, and draw inferences on visibility and rank.
I’ve decided not to open my monthly investment statements. To be honest, I just don’t want to know how much of a hit our retirement and kids’ college savings accounts have taken over the last month. But even without the concrete dollar figures, it seems hard to escape the global economic pity party. Despite any real change to our income or expenses, my household is tightening its belt. We’re paying far more attention to our spending. Even with declining gas prices, we’ve talked ourselves out of holiday trips to see family across the country. Of course, corporations have fallen into this mindset as well. There’s no shortage of business news reporting layoffs, hiring freezes and budget cuts.