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The Top 6 Search Marketing Trends of 2007
- Search Engines Have Extended Beyond Their Initial Function.
Search engines have extended far beyond just helping consumers find what they are looking for on the Web. Search engines have become content networks and they are now expanding to other media channels, including radio, TV, video, print, games, software, and mobile.
As search engines continue to expand, their role is changing for the advertiser. They're becoming primary platforms for advertisers to reach consumers and as such, it is essential for advertisers to understand how to navigate the leading search engines properly. Soon advertisers will be able to purchase most media through the platform of two or three major search engines, which will become one of the primary funnels through which all media buys are purchased. Microsoft adCenter, Yahoo! and Google are well-positioned to be the primary hub for media buys, providing advertisers with one-stop shopping. It is highly likely that the auction-based pricing model will extend into other media channels over time.
For consumers, search will be the starting point for all online activity. For example, search engines have become an influential news source. Many of the top searches in 2006 include the major news items. Declining print circulation and a drop-off in network news viewership is further evidence of this trend.
Partner implications - We advise our partners to continue to analyze and test new opportunities provided by the search engines, particularly if those tests can be tracked and the media channel's ROI can be determined. The search engines will become an increasingly powerful voice connecting advertisers to consumers. The better you are able to leverage the search engine platform, the quicker you will gain benefits over slower-moving competitors.
- As the Web Becomes More Social, Search Becomes More Social.
Users as Publishers - users want to comment on the news, pictures, and video they find using the search engines. The social networking phenomenon provides users with a platform to become self-publishers of content. In addition, users are looking to enhance their search results using community-driven methodologies, which are all designed to help qualify results currently offered solely from algorithms. Recently, Jimmy Wales, the founder of Wikipedia, announced the launch of the Wiki search engine in the first quarter of 2007. Like Wikipedia, Wikiasari will rely on the support of a volunteer community of users, which will allow, among other things, ordinary users to impact the ranking of search results. The success of Wikiasari will rely on the relevance of community-driven search results and presumably its enhancement of search engine algorithms.
Search Implications - Social networking will continue to grow. Companies must find advocates with "word-of-mouth" power, including influential bloggers, within the appropriate communities to champion their products and services. On a similar note, companies must be able to respond quickly to bad press or rumors via searchable mechanisms such as press releases, announcements and company blogs. In order to truly leverage the power of social search, the search engines must lead the way and provide relevant results to the right user at the right time based on psychographics or behavioral targeting.
- Search is Becoming More Personalized.
The use of local search based on geographic and demographic targeting, via IP address or user profile, will hit critical mass. In addition, almost every new phone released now has access to the Internet and/or search content, which will make local search even more valuable to advertisers.
Search Implications - Companies need to optimize for local search if they have a local presence. Companies should have a local search strategy or risk losing out to competitors. The increased use of geo-targeted search strategies will continue to build momentum in 2007. Geographically specific results are frequently replacing the top organic search results. Additionally, geo-modified keyword buys and the use of geo-targeting keywords must be utilized to ensure efficiency in your search campaigns.
In 2007, the mobile search trend will continue to go up. Companies that will truly benefit from mobile search should make sure their content is interactive and adaptable with mobile phones. Searches from mobile devices will start skewing towards .mobi domains, which are domains designed specifically for mobile phone Web surfing. To take advantage of this technology, it is essential to register your .mobi domain.
The marriage of mobile search and local search will result in creative forms of tracking conversions, including "pay per call" opportunities. The primary industries that benefit from geographic-targeting are real estate, automotive, finance and restaurants.
- Search Engines Need to be Fed.
Search engines are increasingly using RSS feeds to find and index fresh content because they are structured and easy to follow. Search engines are relying more and more on feeds (due to the depth and breadth of the Internet and the resources required to effectively crawl it). In order to stay ahead of the competition, companies will need to adopt a comprehensive feed strategy.
Search Implications - It is essential that companies create a long-term strategy to feed the search engines. Yahoo! and MSN have agreed to adopt the Google SiteMaps file format as the industry standard. Companies should update an XML sitemap on their websites to ensure the content is effectively crawled. Froogle and GoogleBase feeds are being used, like local results, to push organic results below the fold. Some competitive keywords in Yahoo can have a good percentage of their search results as Search Submit Pro (SSP) (Paid Inclusion) listings, leaving little room for even the best SEO optimized pages. Shopping engines, travel sites and others accept feeds with structured data with a flat CPC to advertise. Examples include Yahoo!'s SSP, Yahoo! Product Submit (Yahoo! Shopping feed) and Yahoo! Travel Submit (Yahoo! travel feed).
- The Rise of the Web Has Contributed to the Convergence of Media Channels - Ability to Measure Performance Directly and Indirectly Will Continue to Evolve.
The Rise of the Web Has Contributed to the Convergence of Media Channels ? Ability to Measure Performance Directly and Indirectly Will Continue to Evolve.
Traditionally advertisers have divided media into online and offline marketing, with either direct marketing or brand awareness impact. For example, TV has typically been labeled as an offline medium, with TV ads being purchased primarily for branding purposes.
The rise of the Web has contributed to the convergence of many media channels. Now viewers can watch TV online, which allows advertisers to track what viewers do after watching TV shows. This convergence underscores the concept of all media channels having both a direct marketing and branding impact. Eventually advertisers will be able to measure the effect of these media channels and its direct and indirect impact on consumer behavior.
Partner Implications - As search marketing continues to encompass all media channels, the ability to measure performance directly and indirectly will continue to evolve. As measurement is enhanced, companies will be able to allocate marketing resources more effectively. Advertisers should include tracking methodologies now to understand how different media channels interact.
- Web Page Optimization Will Gain Traction in 2007.
Enhanced tracking and instant feedback is leading to the ability to enhance conversion paths and rates. For instance, landing page optimization, which is used to improve the efficiency of search campaigns, will have a tremendous impact in 2007. Companies that have begun testing this concept are seeing an enormous increase in profits, as conversion rates improve by as much as 25-30%.
Partner Implications: When possible, partners should launch refined and effective multivariate testing of landing pages and the conversion path process in order to enhance their performance. For the best results, this testing should be ongoing and comprehensive. Over time, this testing may also be applied to search copy as well.
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