What small business can afford to run display advertising that doesn’t produce results?
What small business can afford not to run search advertising that only produces results?
Posts Tagged ‘Search Advertising’
Search Advertising Vs. Display Advertising
March 15, 2011Adwords Certification Status
June 18, 2010Why doesn’t online advertising spend alone qualify an individual or company for Adwords certification?
Adwords Certification Status
Businesses as a rule won’t spend money on search advertising that doesn’t produce results.
Individuals and the companies they work for who produce results online through Google’s search advertising products are by definition qualified.
The Branding Impact of Online Display and Video Advertising
March 26, 2010Online display and video advertising attribution studies are becoming increasingly more frequent as every medium seeks to quantify the effectiveness of their advertising distribution platforms compared to search advertising.
The following press release from comScore is an example of these new types of online advertising attribution studies.
London, UK, March 25, 2010 – .Fox Networks (pronounced “dot-fox”), the leading global online network from Fox International Channels (FIC) and comScore, a leader in measuring the digital world, today unveiled the findings of a ground-breaking U.K. study. The study, commissioned by online video specialist .Fox, used comScore’s single-source panel methodology to confirm that video and display advertising are effective at driving significant uplift in site visitation and advertiser search queries, even in the face of minimal clicks on ads.
The study evaluated results from four campaigns across four industry sectors and produced the following key findings:
Video and display advertising both successfully increased brand engagement in each of the four campaigns analysed. The average uplift across the campaigns saw site visitation increase by more than a factor of seven over a four week period following exposure to an ad, with consumers three times more likely to conduct search queries using brand or relevant generic terms in the same time period.
When evaluating video and display side by side, consumers exposed to video advertising were 28 percent more likely to visit the brand site and nearly twice as likely to conduct a trademark search.
Confirming expectations and previous industry understanding, video was able to generate a more immediate impact in the first five exposures than display ads in terms of increases in site visitation and search queries; however, behavioural response for those exposed to display climbed steadily as the number of ad impressions increased.
The results, which have been released in full at the Advertising Research Foundation’s 2010 conference in New York this Wednesday, are also particularly significant given sharp decreases in online advertising click-through-rates over recent years, with the U.K. being the worst affected of leading global markets.The study underscores the fact that consumer search behaviour is positively impacted by the presence of display or video advertising — even in the face of minimal clicks. In each of the four campaigns, search activity increased significantly when consumers were exposed to these online ad formats, suggesting that the last click on a search ad should not be given 100 percent of the credit in attribution studies.
Commenting on the findings, Hernan Lopez, President of .Fox Networks and COO of FIC said, “This study proves that online display and video advertising drives significant results that are either being ignored by click-through-based metrics, or wrongly attributed to search. We make an open invitation to global advertisers to work with us and comScore in a follow-up to the study, measuring the impact on actual sales.”
“As the online industry seeks to increase its share of branding advertising budgets, it’s more important than ever to prove the value of display and video ad formats”, said Gian Fulgoni, chairman of comScore. “This research and our recent Whither the Click study for Europe are helping marketers understand that the internet is indeed a powerful branding medium and how vital it is to measure campaign effectiveness using the appropriate behavioural metrics rather than just the click.”
Internet Ad Revenues First Half 2009
October 19, 2009The Internet Advertising Bureau has released its internet advertising ad revenue report for the first half of 2009.
Search And Display Ads 1/2 2009
As could be expected, Search Advertising saw the largest increase in spend while Classifieds and E-Mail experienced the largest decreases.
Search Advertising Competitive Offer from Microsoft adCenter
July 2, 2009I received the following email offer from Microsoft adCenter promoting search advertising with Microsoft.
From: Microsoft adCenter [media@microsoftadvertising.com]
Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2009 6:58 PM
To: Search Advertiser
Subject: Don’t miss out on free clicks when you let us upload your next search campaign
To ensure that you continue to receive Microsoft adCenter communications, please add our domain (@microsoftadvertising.com) to your safe senders list.
Dear Search Advertiser,
Time is running out on our birthday celebration offer. Our gift to you: We’ll upload one of your campaigns from another search advertising program to Microsoft adCenter—for free!—and you’ll receive a coupon worth $15 in free clicks. 1
How does your free upload work?
Signing up couldn’t be simpler. You’re just a click away. Our birthday offer ends July 6, 2009, so please act fast!
1. Sign up on our adCenter Anniversary web form.
2. You’ll receive an e-mail message containing details about how to send us your exported competitive search engine campaign.
3. One of our Search Specialists will upload your campaign to your adCenter account.
4. You’ll receive a confirmation that your campaign upload is complete.
5. Simply activate your campaign, and then use your promotion code to receive $15 in free clicks.
Extend your reach with adCenter
Your adCenter campaign upload can help you expand your search advertising reach with:
* Higher-quality clicks: adCenter can offer you a more targeted audience, which can mean more clicks from the customers you want.
* Better conversions: Consumers who click adCenter ads can be three times more likely to engage than those who click Google ads. 2
If you have any questions, contact us at (800) 518-5689, Monday through Saturday, from 6:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. Pacific Time. Please keep this e-mail for your records to refer to offer details. We look forward to working with you to upload your next adCenter campaign!
Sincerely,
The Microsoft adCenter Team
1 Offer details: Offer valid only for new campaigns submitted by July 6, 2009, that go live by July 15, 2009 (midnight Pacific Time). Participation in this program is limited and this offer is being extended at the sole discretion of adCenter to existing customers of adCenter who are original recipients of this e-mail from Microsoft. Any portion of ad credit not used within 90 days from the date the credit was applied to your adCenter account will expire. Ads must be stopped after ad credit is used up or within 90 days from the time ad credit was applied to your adCenter account, whichever comes first, or your credit card/invoice will be charged for advertising clicks. Offer valid for residents of the 50 United States and Washington, D.C., only. Limit: one ad credit and one free campaign upload per adCenter customer. Offer may not be combined with any other offers or discounts, separated, redeemed for cash, transferred, sold, or bartered. There is a minimum bid requirement of $0.05 per click-through when using adCenter. Search or Contextual Advertising listings are subject to editorial review. See Microsoft Advertiser Terms and Conditions for more details. Other terms and conditions may apply. This offer may be terminated by adCenter at any time and without notice.
Upload requirements: A new campaign is defined as a campaign containing broadly different keywords and ads when compared to others that are live on adCenter. A new campaign must have a minimum of 150 keywords. Campaign names must not exceed 100 characters and ad group names must not exceed 60 characters in adCenter. If adCenter receives files exceeding character limits, it may be renamed to reduce length by removing any additional characters, except where this would duplicate another campaign or ad group name. Subject to all necessary data being accurately submitted by you and your compliance with Microsoft adCenter Terms and Conditions, and the Offer Details above, your unique promotional code will be sent via e-mail to you by Microsoft which will enable you to redeem your ad credit.
2 Conversion is defined as a web visitor entering into a secure session on a website. comScore Quality of Click Custom Study (MSN – Windows Live Search), March – May 2008.
Microsoft Corporation
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052
Interesting strategy.
Why doesn’t Microsoft promote this on the Bing home page?
Search Advertising Small Business Market Penetration
May 3, 2009Australian small businesses are in line for some stimulus money from search companies Google and Yahoo.
According to the Australian, “Yahoo Search Marketing is offering businesses $150 in search inventory, while Google is giving away up to $75 per new customer.”
Why?
Its estimated ” just 2 per cent of the 1.9 million small businesses in Australia use paid search advertising. A key reason is that many businesses still do not have a website.”
Search advertising small business penetration in the United States is surely higher isn’t it?
Number of Small Businesses in the United States
What percentage of small businesses in the United States buy search advertising?
What percentage of small businesses in the United States have a website?
Google’s Largest Agency Client and Customer?
April 30, 2009The final issue of Portfolio magazine has an interview with Sir Martin Sorrell of WPP Group.
As head of the marketing communications giant, Sorrell oversees more than 100 companies specializing in everything from advertising to consumer research.
Recently Sorrell had characterized his firm’s relationship with Google as that of “frenemies.”
In the Portfolio interview, Sorrell reclassifies WPP’s relationship with Google as “friendly frenemy” because Google competes with WPP through its acquisition of Doubleclick.
Sorrell then goes on to say what I believe hadn’t yet otherwise been made public before … “we buy about $850 million worth of search advertising from them. We’re their biggest agency customer.”
At an average CPC of $1.00, WPP’s $850 million spend on search advertising with Google would generate 850 million clicks.
Wow.
Although I am not absolutely certain Sir Martin – and unless eBay has doubled or tripled its Adwords spend recently – I think buying $850 million worth of search advertising from Google not only makes WPP Google’s largest agency client – its also makes WPP Google’s largest customer – period.
Small Business Search Engine Marketing Too Costly, Time Consuming and Complex?
December 21, 2008Microsoft adCenter conducted a survey of 400 small businesses with 250 employees or less to gauge small business sentiment toward search marketing and advertising.
Among the participants’ chief concerns, most cited the common misconceptions of cost, time and complexity as major hurdles to conducting search marketing campaigns for their businesses.
Key small business concerns regarding search engine marketing from the Microsoft adCenter study:
- Nearly nine in 10 (89 percent) feared keywords may become too expensive.
- 81% questioned if paid search marketing is the best use of their marketing budgets.
- 25% of respondents believe paid search marketing is too complex.
- 21% thought it would be too time-consuming.
- 35% felt they would need an agency to help set up a search marketing campaign.
The most surprising finding from Microsoft’s adCenter Study? 7 in 10 small-business owners who participated revealed that they would rather try to do their own taxes than start a paid search marketing campaign!
The Microsoft study also revealed that 59 percent of small businesses with Web sites don’t currently use paid search marketing, and of those, 90 percent have never even attempted it.
Will search engine advertising providers like Microsoft ever overcome the general small business perception that search engine advertising is too costly, time consuming and complex?
Not until the small business advertiser has been convinced and shown otherwise that search engine marketing is inexpensive, quick and easy.
Radio: The Lowest Cost Audience of Any Major Media?
November 10, 2008From today’s Wall Street Journal:
“While listening hours are declining, most people still listen to an average of 18.5 hours a week, according to Arbitron Inc. Based on the price of reaching each listener, radio generally offers its audience “at the lowest [cost] of any major media,” says David Field, chief executive of Entercom.”
Not sure about Radio reaching its listeners and audience at the lowest cost of any “major media” – Mr. Field.
Haven’t the internet and search advertising become “major media” yet?
I guess media isn’t major until those in the “major media” say it is.
There is a relatively new – possibly major media – called internet search offered by a company called Google which connects its audience with advertisers for as low as .05 a piece.
Radio may indeed reach its audience for less but by what standard does radio define and measure its connection with its audience?
In search advertising the audience isn’t counted and considered reached until the advertiser’s advertisement is clicked.
Radio advertising measures audience reach and then its connection of advertiser to listener how – instead by listeners clicking their radios on?
Isn’t anything less than authenticated and measured advertisement – disconnected advertising?
Which radio station can I buy a radio ad on to reach a targeted audience of 10 listeners for $.50 or even 100 listeners for $5.00?
Depending on your definition, radio may indeed offer its audience at the lowest cost of any major media – but at what price?
2008 Holiday Retail Search Traffic Forecast
November 7, 2008Microsoft’s adCenter blog has posted their 2008 Holiday Advertising Guide for search advertisers.
Some of the guide’s highlights:
“Online retail shopping increases in November by more than 100 percent.1 Adding promotions like free shipping make an enormous difference—57 percent of consumers stated that free shipping is a reason for them to shop online.2 For search and display advertising, online buying will peak on Black Friday, November 28, followed by Cyber Monday, December 1.”
1. Hitwise Market Share in all Categories, 2008.
2. iCongo/Harris Interactive, April 22, 2008.
Based on the percentage of consumer interest and barring any data suggesting otherwise, shipping costs appear to have become the largest remaining barrier to consumers shopping and buying online.
Can elimination of shipping costs insure and increase internet retailers sales prospects this 2008 holiday season?
As the largest online retailer, Amazon.com demonstrated their understanding of the power of free shipping by offering it during the 2007 holiday season.
Amazon is again offering free shipping this holiday shopping season with some conditions through their Amazon Prime Member program.
Amazon Prime
In this current economic climate, aren’t internet retailers who don’t follow Amazon’s lead by offering some type of free shipping risking transaction losses to internet retailers – like Amazon – who do?
According to Microsoft’s Holiday Advertising Guide and their traffic data from 2007, Internet retailers can expect four peak search traffic periods during this holiday season:
1. Black Friday
2. Cyber Monday
3. Holiday Crunch
4. Post Holiday
Holiday Search Traffic
Important search traffic dates for internet retailers this year will be:
1. Black Friday: November 28, 2008
2. Cyber Monday: December 1, 2008
3. Holiday Crunch: Occurs between December 4, 2008 and December 18, 2008
4. Post Holiday: Begins on December 26, 2008
Internet retailers who advertise free shipping this holiday season can forecast a larger percentage of transactions generated via search from within their market than internet retailers who don’t.
Search Marketing Communications 
You must be logged in to post a comment.