Nov
24th
Posted by Tim on November 24, 2004 at 11:49 am
CNet recently ran an article on a lawsuit filed by Google against a suspected perpetrator of click fraud.
Click fraud is a very real issue for pay-per-click advertisers. Too often, fraudulent clicks can destroy an online PPC campaign.
It is however detectable, and while not necessarily preventable, it can be remedied. A combination of excellent tracking tools, vigilance and experience can at least lead to detection and reporting of invalid clicks.
Herein lie just some of the advantages of outsourcing PPC management tasks. Detecting fraud is a skill that many businesses could learn, but more important than knowing how to spot it is having the time to watch for it. Search marketing companies that provide PPC management should have dedicated account executives working on accounts steadily, able to quick spot suspect trends and activity.
A good SEO/SEM agency can get accounts stopped, gather appropriate data and submit evidence for a fraud investigation, often long before a client realizes there has been a spike in traffic.
Finding click fraud in a timely manner and dealing with it appropriately is crucial. Dedicated account managers have experience with accounts and are able to quickly spot questionable traffic trends. They are also better equipped to quickly see the difference between legitimate traffic spikes and fraudulent traffic.
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Nov
22nd
Posted by Tim on November 22, 2004 at 4:05 pm
77% of Internet users use search engines (more than 117 million users)
The so-called “big 4″ search engines (Google, Yahoo, AOL, MSN) command 95% of the search market
Think organic search might not be of real value? Consider the following numbers that show how user interaction breaks down between the natural listings and the paid listings:
72% click natural vs. 28% clicking paid on Google
60% natural vs. 40% paid on Yahoo
50% natural vs. 50% paid on AOL
It’s widely believed that the layout of the pages has a tremendous influence on these interactions as well. Should AOL make natural listings more prominent, these numbers could easily shift.
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Nov
18th
Posted by Tim on November 18, 2004 at 10:08 am
Search engine marketing is not a commodity.
While there are vendors who will position search marketing as such, it is not a commodity.
Search engine marketing is a service. It is a living, breathing, adaptable, evolving service.
This is not a one hit wonder.
This is not a gun it and run it.
Selecting a search marketing partner based on price alone could be something of a gamble. You might get great results. You might not. Either way, you probably don’t have any assurance of continuing service. There’s likely little chance of having a partner, essentially on staff, that you can work with to plan future marketing strategies. To foresee and react to changes in the search engine algorithms. To understand which evolving niche engines could best serve your business. Your entire search marketing strategy will probably stay reactive, rather than proactive.
The lowest price tag might look good on the bottom line, but only the first time you pay it. Will it still be a discount when you’re on your third project in a year?
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Nov
16th
Posted by Tim on November 16, 2004 at 1:50 pm
Danny Sullivan has a nice write up about SEO Secrets over at the Search Engine Watch Blog.
Probably one of the most important elements of a search marketing campaign is the time involved. For agencies, this is one of the key considerations when debating about whether to outsource. Regardless of whether or not a campaign attacks like the tortoise or the hare, there is an investment of time and manpower to keep a campaign running well.
Sometimes finding a partner to run the race for you is the best way to keep your team fresh.
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Nov
16th
Posted by Tim on November 16, 2004 at 1:02 pm
It should be a given, but we have no trouble making the point again.
I first saw this list posted by Elizabeth Albrycht on her blog, but I believe the original source was Christopher Carti over on his blog.
While this is written from a consumer stand-point, I thought it was a great way to think of the base of a great relationship between agencies as well and this is so well said, there’s really no need to try and re-invent the wheel.
Without further ado:
- I want to have a say.
- I don’t want to do business with idiots.
- I want to know when something is wrong, and what you’re going to do to fix it.
- I want to help shape things that I’ll find useful.
- I want to connect with others who are working on similar problems.
- I want to buy things on my schedule, not yours. I don’t care if it’s the end of your quarter.
- I want to know your selling process.
- I want to tell you when you’re screwing up. Conversely, I’m happy to tell you the things that you are doing well. I may even tell you what your competitors are doing.
- I want to do business with companies that act in a transparent and ethical manner.
- I want to know what’s next. We’re in partnership … where should we go?
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