Step Wise SEO

Any well-laid plan can go badly if the tactical aspects of the strategy aren’t prepared properly.

The following are some of the most common tactical mistakes made resulting in unsuccessful uses o search:

• Selecting the wrong keywords: keyword selection is critical to a campaign, a fact that has been highlighted in nearly every aspect of this document.

 If the wrong keywords are selected then many factors can occur. Examples include:

 (a) too little traffic
 (b) too much traffic
 (c) non-relevant traffic
 (d) converting traffic at too high a cost
 (e) not enough converting traffic.

 All of these variables can hinder a campaign and it must be noted that keywords are the very first contact the searcher will have with anything relevant to a company and the company’s website, products and services.

• Using the wrong search engines: some search vehicles are specific to a particular industry or submission type.

 It would be foolish to use paid inclusion (PFI) to drive generic traffic. Similarly it wouldn’t make sense to use a vertical engine for a website that has products or services that weren’t relevant to the search audience.

 It is critical in any campaign that each of the search engine vehicles is researched and that the appropriate channels are used in relation to the advertising company’s products and services.

• Using poor creative: once the effort has been made to select the right and relevant keywords for a campaign the next challenge is to get the searcher from the results page to the website.

Many companies suffer from low click-through rates (CTR) and, in the case of the major PFP providers, suspension of keywords owing to low click volume. It is often the lack of creative focus that results in this low CTR.

If the ad is less compelling to the searcher, it will not be clicked on. If this ad is clicked on too few times, it will become subject to penalty from the engine’s CTR performance criteria.

This essentially states that an ad which has a poor CTR will be disabled to free up advertising space for a more attractive ad.

More alarming is that in many respects it is often the keywords that get suspended that have some of the highest relevancy or conversion potential out of an entire keyword portfolio.

• Poor bidding techniques: specifically related to the PFP engines, the major variable for poor performance is lack of appropriate bidding techniques.

 As the market controls the position of listings it is of vital importance that appropriate positions are maintained to ensure success; however, should these positions change, in relation to cost, the keyword may become highly unsuccessful.

 This could be because of two things:

 (1) the bid price on a term has greatly diminished and lower positions are now much cheaper than before, and having a listing competing in the top placements may result in CPCs that are way above what the financial calculation warrants or

 (2) the previously set (or bid) CPCs have resulted in position I at lunchtime becoming position 7 by tea-time, and the lack of syndication has lost the coverage across the advertising network.

• Inflating the market conditions: a problem associated with the PFP is bidders inflating the cost of the market conditions to a point where all bidding within the space end up paying more than necessary.

For reference purposes, market conditions are the bids and prices of keywords within a set period of time.

These market conditions are increased if bidders place too much emphasis on ensuring a number 1 position and not on watching for ROI metrics or tracking any form of click activity.

The problem typically manifests itself on engines using the Overture model with bidders using the `auto bid’ mechanisms.

As this allows the max, bidder to only pay one penny or cent above the next-placed bid regardless of the amount bid.

To put this into context a bidder can place a bid of $1.00 when the next-placed bid is $0.50 and only pay $0.51.

The problem becomes evident when another bidder attempts to claim the top spot and bids $1.01: now the market conditions for top bid have doubled as it went from $0.51 to $1.01 in one move.

As more and more advertisers place bids, the market conditions become inflated and all advertisers start to pay more than previously needed.

Identifying the most common reasons for a successful or unsuccessful campaign is of vital importance as it gives an indication of where mistakes can be avoided when preparing a search engine marketing plan from scratch.

These reasons aren’t comprehensive by any means, but in essence these listed here represent some of the most common instances of failure and success within this fledgling industry.

• Companies which set predetermined goals and objectives for a search strategy find success as every eventuality has been covered within the plan.

 This includes the control of expectations, the control of resources and the appropriate use of the correct tactics.

• The use of tracking technologies against these results makes all search activity accountable.

 It is with the use of tracking and an understanding of direction that success will be achieved.

• It is the appropriate designation of resource and the constant commitment to a search strategy that is rewarded. It is only through persistence, tracking, testing and control that success is found.

• The setting or realistic goals is essential. Researching the space and determining costs and possible areas of success only can do this.

 Failure to do this will almost certainly result in unrealistic expectations for a search campaign.

• Companies who regard search marketing as a one-off activity tend to fail, especially those which regard search engine traffic as being free.

• Poor use of tactical elements, such as keywords, creative, and engine selection can hinder any well-structured search marketing strategy.

• Failure to appreciate the bidding environment on the PFP engines will almost certainly result in a strategy collapsing.

 As the market controls these engines it is only through constant attention, be it human or technological, that successful use of these engines be maintained.

Keywords: search, keywords, traffic, search engines, search vehicles, vertical engine, creatives, CTR, click-through rates, advertisers, bids,