The big picture: With multi-channel campaigns, Google aims to own the funnel
The company introduced new and expanded ad surfaces for campaigns that run across multiple channels, and Search becomes a spoke in the wheel.
Topic: Purchase funnel
3 signs it’s time to make the switch to account-based analytics
If someone asked how you track your marketing efforts, how would you respond? Chances are, your answer would sound like a game of martech MadLibs. You’re using Google Analytics, advertising platforms, marketing automation, your CRM and myriad other tools to track, measure and take action on your marketing data. You spend your days building marketing […]
From funnel to flywheel
If you’re like most marketers, you could name the basic parts of the sales funnel in your sleep: Awareness, Interest, Evaluation, Decision, and Purchase. Of course, businesses have tweaked the model over the years, adding extra steps and so forth, but the basic premise has remained the same. But there is one problem with the […]
How to understand searcher intent and use it to boost SEO rankings
Understanding the intent behind the keywords you target simplifies the entire SEO process, says contributor Marcus Miller. Here is a look at how to understand and categorize keywords based on intent.
5 PPC mistakes you’re probably making in your campaigns
Most common PPC campaign mistakes can be easily rectified. With extra awareness, time and effort, you can adjust your optimization strategy to focus on ROI instead of CPA and get better results. With some changes to the way you approach your PPC activities as a whole, you can fine-tune your funnel and get higher-quality […]
What is demand generation marketing?
The role of demand generation marketing is evolving along with technology, enabling B2B marketers to get better at filling the pipeline with actual opportunities versus just a bunch of leads. In one TED Talk, Malcolm Gladwell shares a story about choice, happiness and Howard Moskowitz. He talks about Howard’s role as a food scientist and […]
Choosing an attribution model: When, not which
Wondering which attribution model is best for your business? Columnist Amy Bishop believes that depends on what question you're trying to answer.
Perfect Your SEM Testing: How & Why To Evaluate Everything: SMX East 2016
Looking for inspiration when it comes to designing and running tests in your PPC accounts? Columnist Aaron Levy recaps a session on this topic from SMX East 2016.
SMX Advanced 2016 recap: Harnessing SEM analytics for smarter automation
Columnist Christi Olson provides tips and advice from PPC experts on how search marketers can make SEM automation work for them.
Content Mapping, Search Optimization And The Buyer’s Journey
Have you optimized your content for all stages of the buyer's journey? Columnist Jim Yu looks at how to create the right content at the right time to drive conversions.
How And Why Content Marketing Works
There's no question about it: An effective content marketing campaign will increase your organic search traffic. Contributor Eric Enge discusses how you can implement a solid content marketing strategy.
Google Brings Search Funnels Attribution Modeling Tool To AdWords
Google announced it is adding a Search Funnels Attribution Modeling Tool to AdWords to help marketers better understand how AdWords campaigns are part of the sales funnel. Advertisers can look at five different attribution models in AdWords and compare up to three attribution models simultaneously to analyze keywords, ad groups and campaigns that are contributing […]
AdWords Debuts Offline Conversion Tracking For Full Sales Cycle Optimization
Running lead generation campaigns on Google AdWords? Measuring success and optimizing campaigns for actual sealed-deal conversions, not just lead in-take, just got a whole lot easier. On the heels of rolling out cross-account conversion tracking and search funnels for MCC users, today, Google announced a new feature that allows advertisers to import offline conversions derived […]
How Dynamic Audiences Can Maximize Display Advertising Performance
I’m often asked whether it is better to change an ad to fit an audience, or to change an audience to fit an ad. Many in the online advertising industry are familiar with the concept of dynamic creative, which customizes the content of an ad to match the interests of the user seeing the ad. […]
Developing Better Search A Key To Facebook’s Future
During last week’s Facebook earnings call COO Sheryl Sandberg argued that the company could and would compete for marketing dollars “throughout the entire marketing funnel.” That is, from branding and awareness at the “top” of the so-called funnel to “demand fulfillment” at the “bottom.” Below is the quote in broader context: We believe we are […]
Web Site Usability For Improving Online Forms
You’ve heard it said a hundred times. Search engine marketing leads to a dead end if the web site isn’t designed to deliver what it promises. Many an anchor text, meta description and advertisement text have sent users into a house of horror because the landing page is a complete disconnect from what was marketed. […]
SMX Advanced 2010 Slide Video: Targeting The Search Funnel
Targeting The Search Funnel Presentations from SMX Advanced Seattle, June 2010 Most people don’t do a search and immediatley buy from a web site. They often research a product over days, weeks or even months, using different search terms from search session-to-session. The panel looks at the search funnel, as Google’s new tool recently renamed […]
With Search, Turn Your Marketing Funnel Into A Water Park
In marketing, we divide the customer experience into several tasks: Awareness, consideration, demand and purchase. Advertising campaigns are put into buckets of awareness (isn’t this cool?), consideration (here are your options if you decide to buy this kind of thing) and demand (take advantage of this special offer!). The messaging is geared towards one or […]
Research: Fear Explains Irrational B2B Purchase Behavior
Here’s a common experience for anyone who sells products and services to businesses. A prospect is moving toward becoming a customer, and then inexplicably becomes unresponsive. Why? B2B buying is not a rational process. That straightforward yet profound conclusion makes reading The BuyerSphere Project by Search Engine Land Just Behave columnist Gord Hotchkiss worthwhile.
A Call to BtoB Marketers — Integrate Search Now!
Regular readers of Strictly Business undoubtedly know that search marketing does not happen in a vacuum. Instead, it both impacts, and is impacted by, other forms of marketing. In fact, search has the inherent ability to both capture the demand created by other marketing channels, as well as to drive prospects who seek products and […]
B2B Marketers Should Embrace “Tire Kickers”
Should marketers avoid paying for prospects who are early in the buying process and not ready to submit personal information or be contacted by a sales person? Should these “tire kickers” be avoided so that marketers can focus their attention on generating more valuable, sales-ready leads? While this approach may seem logical at first, I […]