Google Site Seach In Organic Results

I'm wondering if I've been hiding under a rock or just completely missed the whole google "site search box" magically appearing under selected websites "site links" in Google's organic results. At first it feels a bit confusing that there are now 2 search boxes within pixels of each other - but then I start to see this is an ingenious idea - saving users considerable time and effort. But, is it only for affiliated Google sites like Wiki and Dmoz? Because I don't see this same functionality for websites that are used almost exclusively for search like Yellow Pages...?

Search Marketing Bid Strategies

Search Marketing Bid Strategies are becoming increasingly important to the value of Search Marketing Campaigns, not only can they save you 60%-70% of your daily budget, they can easily increase your return on investment.

I'm often told by clients to make sure they are at the top of the sponsored listings and ahead of their competitors - don't argue, no buts, just get us there. But is this the best scenario?

Many will tell you yes, it's essential to beat your competitors and being in that first position gets a higher click through rate which means more customers to your site, reading your content and viewing your offering. Which means a better chance of getting conversion, right? That's all a pretty good reason to pay top $$, but is it the best option for your campaign?

Chances are that it's not, it's costing you excess spend, lowering your conversion rates and helping your competitors. Web users are getting more savvy, they know more often than not know the workings of sponsored listings and it's these savvy users you want to target with your campaigns.

It's all too easy for the lazy people at the start of the buying cycle to click that very top ad. Even more so if it's highlighted in blue :) Remember, people are price conscious just like you. They will click that juicy link at the top of the page, review that product and then go hunting for the cheaper product. So in that case, if you're number 1 - you have just been burnt.

So lets use a Position Bidding Strategy.

Get out of the bidding war at the top of the pile, escape the lazy searchers at the start of the buying cycle (lets face it, they just aren't ready to purchase today) and lets target a bid position of 4. While it might be pretty scary that your competitors are now getting 2.5 times the traffic you are, they are also getting 2.5 times the number of lazy searchers.

By dropping our search marketing bid position to number 4 we are effectively now getting 40% of the traffic while only paying 14% of the cost. That's a nice little saving, but what is even more important is that the users clicking our targeted ads are actually reading the ad text and selecting us from the page because of our ads content rather than a our position just being the most convenient.

That means our campaign is now much more highly targeted and gives us the chance to post a better return on investment or leads capture with a more optimal campaign. Of course this kind of a strategy certainly differs depending on your competitors actions and the nature of your products.

Search Marketing Campaigns

We all know how great Google is, they talk about it in movies, on our TV shows & you’re probably one of the people who have used the phrase – Google it!

But how can your business utilise the power of Search Marketing?

Sure, your customers can find your website when they search for the name of your company. But those people already know who you are; they’re already looking for you. If you’re lucky, they’re repeat customers. But what you really want. What you really need, are new customers to help grow your business. Creating a Search Marketing Campaign specifically utilises search engines by driving targeted traffic to your website – affordably.

This targeted traffic is no longer searching for your business name, in fact, this targeted traffic has probably never even been to your website – they’re searching Google for products & services. And that’s where the value lies.

Running a Search Marketing Campaign gives your business access to customers who never knew you existed, that are specifically searching for the products & services you offer. So this means your conversion rates and RIO are going to be substantially higher, and in comparison to other forms of media, your advertising spend is much lower, but still has a more direct impact because your customer intentionally found you and didn’t just randomly flick past you in a newspaper.

When setting up a Search Marketing Campaign, your agency should compile a detailed keyword strategy. Targeting words & phrases that are relative to your business’ products and services. Breaking up keywords and phrases into Adword Groups so you can easily customise the creative, set maximum key word bids and analyse clicks, conversions & ROI – all key things in keeping your campaign optimised for the best results.

While you can easily set up a Search Marketing Campaign your self, I’d highly recommend speaking with a Search Marketing Strategist like my self before jumping in, as Google’s Search Marketing bid tool can certainly get tricky to master the best value campaign for your business. There are also certain key word strategies and creative needs that are critical to the success of a campaign, and with the competition that can appear on popular services and key words, a cutting edge strategy can save you thousands and generate a better conversion rate for a much higher ROI.

If you only make one online marketing investment for your business this year – make it a Search Marketing Campaign. You’ll be glad you did.

Google, Yahoo, Ninemsn & Sensis all provide Search Maketing Services.

Stay tuned for advanced Search Marketing Strategies and Tips.
(Note. this article is directed at clients and business owners who are contemplating Search Marketing for their business & not Search Marketing professionals)