Optimarketer: The Marketing Optimization Blog

Agency Head Slams Conventional Search Engine Marketing

In a just-released white paper, the founder of a groundbreaking agency says search engine marketing (SEM) professionals often bring a "paint-by-the-numbers" approach to assignments. The award-winning author claims a lack of creative innovation reduces profits. He adds that SEM "silos" inhibit campaign integration.

The indictment isn't confined to the creative side.

According to the author, too many tests reflect little more than "Direct Marketing 101" techniques; practitioners often focus on click quantity over lead quality; and many businesses pay little or no attention to the back end, where the money is usually made in search engine marketing.

As an alternative, he introduces OptiSearch. A break with the status quo, OptiSearch is designed to optimize SEM from end to end.

Confession: I'm the author. Download OptiSearch. (Just click the link to the left to get the PDF.) And please share this post -- and white paper -- with your friends. Thanks.

The Dark Side of Search Engine Optimization

Lately I've been getting spam comments on Freaking Marketing that are different than the traditional crap.

Here's an example:

taeniada reichslander answerableness palaeolithist bipartisanship averter bustling fustee York College

Know what's really weird? These comments are often linked to perfectly legitimate websites.

Makes me wonder how many honorable buyers of search marketing services are in the dark about this raunchy SEO tactic.

The Massive AdWords Keyword List: Profitability or Insanity?

Search marketing aficionados have been wrasslin' over this one for years.

But it's actually an easy question to answer.

Ready? It depends.

It comes down entirely to return on investment. If it's justified from an ROI standpoint, you should stay with the longer list. If it isn't, you ought to hack away at it.

But don't understate things by only adding up the cost for clicks. Include the real cost of maintaining that big list. (The latter may represent a good chunk of the expense.)

This means new Google AdWords advertisers should start with a large list that includes all those offbeat combinations of keywords and phrases -- and then track them through conversions. Otherwise you'll be making one big speculative leap.

Told ya it was easy. What do you think?

And You Thought You Were Paying A Lot For Google AdWords

Here are the 10 costliest search terms, according to CyberWyre:

10. Arizona DUI Lawyer: $59.39

9. Online Car Insurance Quotes: $59.44

8. Treatment of Mesothelioma: $60.96

7. Mesothelioma Survival Rate: $61.26

6. Car Accident Attorney Los Angeles: $61.44

5. Student Loans Consolidation: $62.59

4. Michigan Personal Injury Attorney: $65.74

3. Personal Injury Lawyer Michigan: $65.85

2. Mesothelioma Risk: $66.46

1. Mesothelioma Treatment Options: $69.10

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare cancer generally caused by asbestos exposure. Some sufferers have apparently received seven-figure settlements. I suspect lawyers consider the $69 CPC one of the world's great bargains.   

Maybe We Need A 12-Step Program For AdWords Addicts

Recently, a business-to-business marketer said her company spent $90,000 on Google AdWords, but they weren't happy with the results.

"How much business did it bring in?" I asked.

"We sent one qualified lead on to sales."

In their hearts they knew it was wrong, but they couldn't stop themselves from using it. Reminds me of the people who put that kind of money straight up their nose. But at least those addicts can turn to organizations like Narcotics Anonymous.

Google junkies -- those poor souls who find themselves addicted to cost-per-click (CPC) advertising -- have no support groups. In fact, I did a Google search using the phrase "help for Google addicts" and not one relevant web page turned up.

For the record, I happen to love paid search marketing. In fact, our direct marketing agency, Mothers of Invention, is currently running a Google AdWords program to promote our shop. And for clients, we offer a capability called Mothers of Search. Under the right circumstances, search marketing can be an extremely profitable thing.

But search marketing ain't right for every marketer. Many companies find that the cost of worthless clicks overwhelm the value of worthwhile ones. Everyone who uses the program has an obligation to objectively compare it against relevant cost-per-thousand (CPM) media. In many cases, marketers who carefully compare the bottom line of CPC and CPM media will find that CPM wins hands down.

In the end, direct marketing always boils down to that trite acronym known as ROI. A million clicks at a nickel a hit that amount to nuthin' is fifty grand that could've been put to way better use.

If you believe you're dangerously addicted to cost-per-click marketing, the first step is to admit you have a problem.