Search Engine Marketing: The Core of Online Marketing

AARHUS

UNIVERSITY

ASB AU MAPP

SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING

Jacob L. Orquin, Ph.D.

Department of Business Administration

Aarhus University

AARHUS

UNIVERSITY

ASB AU MAPP

SEARCH ENGINES MARKETING

Search engine marketing (SEM): how to market your company or product

through search engines

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SEARCH ENGINE TAXONOMY

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THE SEARCH ENGINE MOTOR

The search engine algorithm will search for the best content match for you

search term

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SEM TOOLS

• Search engine optimization (SEO)

• Paid placement / pay per click (PPC)

• Directory listings

• Specialty search engines

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UNDERSTANDING THE SEARCHER

What are they searching for?

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UNDERSTANDING THE SEARCHER

Why are they searching?

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UNDERSTANDING THE SEARCHER

Is web search always a deliberate action? Can we think of

unplanned/unreasoned searches?

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SEARCH TERMS AND CATEGORIZATION

The search terms can potentially reveal level of expertise

according to the level of categorization

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UNDERSTANDING THE CLICK

Users click on search results that they expect to fulfill their needs. Of course

they first need to see the result!

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SEM PROCESS

The process can contain:

• SEM strategy

• Definition of KPI’s

• Web analytics

• ROI assesment

• Keyword planning

• Cross evaluation PPC/SEO

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SEM STRATEGY

1. Choose the scope of the SEM program

product line, brand line, country, market, segment etc.

2. Divide the work

copywriting, programming, bidding and optimizing

3. Choose your approach

internal or external team?

4. Project your costs

Assess costs and ROI

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1. SCOPE OF THE SEM PROGRAM

On what scale is your SEM working, corporate or SBU level?

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2. DIVIDE THE WORK

SEM tasks

• Choosing the search marketing strategy.

• Targeting search engines.

• Planning keywords.

• Managing bids.

• Optimizing content.

• Developing technology.

• Defining standards.

• Selecting search marketing tools.

• Reporting metrics.

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3. CHOOSE YOUR APPROACH

Internal or external SEM team?

Consider the following before deciding:

• Corporate culture

• Budget

• Expertise

• Time

• Quality

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4. PROJECT YOUR COSTS

SEO costs ~ $100 - $200 per page

Dependent on website size and

competition

PPC costs ~ $0,1 - $10 per click

Dependent on competition

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KPI’S

• Web sales. Ring the digital cash register! Your customer buys your product on the Web.

• Offline sales. Ring that other cash register! Your customer uses the Web to research your

product, but buys it in a brick-and-mortar store or over the phone.

• Leads. Find a new customer! Your customer uses the Web to research a problem and

leaves contact information.

• Market awareness. Tell your story! Your customer learns about what you do or engages in

an activity (sponsored by your brand).

• Information and entertainment. Inform people! Your visitor wants to learn something or

have fun killing time.

• Persuasion. Change someone's mind! Your organization might be trying to help people

with a problem or medical condition, or you might be trying to influence public opinion.

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SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION

1. Select keywords based on web

analytics

2. Onsite optimization: Title, copy,

HTML coding, metatags etc.

3. Offsite/linkbuilding: create ingoing

links to te website from relevant

and high ranking sites

4. Continously monitor the

performance of the website in

search engines, and the

performance of the keywords.

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PAID PLACEMENT PROCES

PPC management is iterative and

often requires daily refinements

and bid management.

1. Set up your paid search program

(PPC software like Google

Adwords)

2. Choose your keywords

3. Attract searcher's clicks (ad copy)

4. Optimize paid search landing

pages

5. Measure and adjust your

campaign

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1. PPC PROGRAM

Choose you PPC software and set up your account. Do you want more

than one PPC program?

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2. KEYWORDS

Identify main keywords: take a look on you WA, but what problems could

arise here?

Expand the list: variations, (mis-)spelling, acronyms, combinations

Test keywords: check search volume and est. Bid to hold position

Bid, trim, and track: bid management, trim keyword list, track conversion

rates on keywords

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3. ATTRACT CLICKS

The ad copy must simultaneously attract all potential customers and sort

out non customers while increasing the click through rate (CTR)

Rules of thumb for ad copywriting:

• Use the keywords.

• Sell factual benefits.

• Attract attention.

• Call the searcher to action.

• Create urgency.

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4. OPTIMIZE LANDING PAGES

Don’t throw you traffic away: optimize you landing pages for low bounce

rates and high conversion!

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5. MEASURE AND ADJUST

Measure conversion rate and CPA, adjust bids and keywords

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CONSEQUENCES OF BIDDING

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OPTIMAL BIDDING

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SEM IN COMPARISON

What are the benefits of SEM compared to:

• Banner advertising

• Affiliate marketing

• E-mail marketing

• Viral marketing

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CONTACT

Jacob L Orquin, Ph.D.

Department of Business Administration

Aarhus University

E-mail: [email protected]

Check out my company:

www.userpilot.dk