|
Top Search Industry News: December 2008
TopRank Survey Reveals SEO Is Now The #1 Planned Marketing Investment
Keenly aware that most companies are experiencing tough times, with most marketing budgets under intense review, TopRank, a Fortune 1000 Internet marketing company, recently polled business marketers to find out which online tactics they will emphasize--and increasingly invest in--over these next six months of recession.
The winner...search engine optimization (SEO), handily beating out pay-per-click, email marketing, social network campaigns, affiliate marketing, video, etc. Why is SEO so hot--and increasingly on the radar-for marketers today?
TopRank's analyst argued that SEO's perhaps slightly surprising #1 finish can be attributed to the greater 'comfort level' it's now reached with most marketers, as well as growing awareness that despite some questionable mainstream media characterizations, SEO is an undoubtedly 'high impact, high value tactic for reaching your customers online.'
TopRank went on to argue: "Search is about customers reaching/seeking businesses, not the other way around, and with SEO it isn't a matter of 'Should we?'-- it's a matter of 'What's stopping you?' After all, Pew Internet & American Life's in-depth report recently revealed that search is now used by 49% of web users each and every day, a major surge from 2002, when Google was just becoming a household word and only a third used search daily. And Pew Research also found that the percentage of at-least-once-a-day searchers rose by 69% over the last six years, making search the thing people do most frequently online, aside from checking their email.
TopRank's survey is just one of many indications that SEO is increasingly on most marketers' 'to-do' lists, as businesses seek far less expensive methods for exposure and new customers, at far greater ROI. For example, a recent article, 'Why Companies Are Investing in SEO During the Downturn' explained eight reasons why SEO is going through a renaissance--when most marketing line items are in a heavy recession...Here they are:
1. The Web Outperforms Other Sales Channels
When organizations look at the paths leading to sales and income (a critical analysis whenever budgets are under scrutiny), the web almost always comes out with one of two assessments. Either it's a leading sales channel (especially from an ROI perspective) or it's deemed to be an area with the greatest opportunity for growth. In both scenarios, web marketing and, in correlation, SEO, takes center stage.
2. It's the Right Time to Re-Tool
Established companies frequently use down cycles as a chance to focus attention inward and analyze themselves. Consequently, there's a spike in website redesigns and SEO along with it.
3. Paid Search Drives Interest in SEO
Paid search spending is still reaching all-time highs, and when companies evaluate the cost and value, there's a nagging little voice saying "70%+ of the clicks don't even happen in the ads; use SEO."
4. SEO is Losing its Stigma
Google is releasing SEO guides, Microsoft and Yahoo! both have in-house SEO departments and the "SEO is BS" crowd have lost a little of their swagger and a lot of their arguments. No surprise - solid evidence trumps wishful thinking, especially when times are tough.
5. Marketing Departments are in a Brainstorming Cycle
A high percentage of companies are asking the big questions - "how do we get new customers?" and "what avenues still offer opportunity?" Whenever that happens, SEO is bound to show up near the top of the "to be investigated" pile.
6. Search Traffic Will Be Relatively Unscathed by the Market
Sales might drop, conversion rates might falter a bit but raw search traffic isn't going anywhere. A recession doesn't mean that people stop searching the web, and with broadband adoption rates, Internet penetration and searches per users consistently rising, search is no fad - it's here for the long haul.
7. Web Budgets are Being Reassessed
We've all seen the news about display advertising falling considerably - that can only happen when managers meet to discuss how to address budget concerns. Get 10 Internet marketing managers into rooms with their teams and at least 4 or 5 are bound to discuss SEO and how they can grab that "free" traffic.
8. Someone Finally Looked at the Web Analytics
It's sad, but true. When a downturn arrives or panic sets in, someone, maybe the first someone in a long time, checks the web analytics to see where revenue is still coming in. Not surprisingly, search engine referrals with their exceptional targeting and intent-matching are ranking high on the list.
* Source: SEOMoz December 1, 2008
|
