The Real Price of Digital Marketing

What will it cost to get me to the top of the Google search results?  If only I had a scoop of ice cream every time I heard that…

But the better question is…what will it cost you to NOT be at the top of Google search results?!

Working at a very data driven organization, I think the only way to address this question is by examining the numbers.  I’ve pulled together some stats regarding Paid Search over the past few years for your review….

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Organic listing supplemented with PPC ads increases clicks and conversions.  Supplementing an organic listing with a PPC ad can increase total clicks by up to 89% while increasing conversions by up to 45%. (1)

Want an additional 89% of clicks and 45% more conversions?  Combine your Organic and Paid Search campaigns strategies for a holistic approach to your digital marketing efforts.

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20% of searches on Google are related to location and 25% of PPC clicks will come from mobile devices by the end of the year. (2)

There’s no ignoring mobile now.  Be sure to have a bidding strategy designed to target mobile users.  Leverage location extensions for an added local boost to your AdWords campaign.

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The top 3 ad spots capture 40% of the total clicks on the search page for queries with high commercial intent. (3)

Capture more clicks in the top ad positions. Bid aggressively while consistently focusing on Quality Score improvements.  A higher quality score can guarantee a higher ad rank at a lower Cost Per Click. For more, check out my February post on Quality Score.

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Google’s PLA’s (Shopping Ads) increased 73% in 2013.  Retailers who ran both PLA’s & AdWords text ads generated 42% of their non branded traffic from PLA’s. (4)

If you have an Ecommerce store, there is no reason not to feature your products on Google Shopping.  Boost your exposure and sales revenue with Google Shopping!Check out Ken’s post last month on ‘Getting the Most out of Your Shopping Campaign’ and get started today!

If you or your team are still baffled by the Paid Search strategies listed above, you’ll want to consider hiring a Digital Marketing agency to manage these changes for you.   OR you should strongly consider attending an Online Marketing training course.

While there are a number of courses available these days, I think you’ll find that the Digital Marketing Bootcamp approach from Cardinal Path Training Academy will whip your marketing campaign into shape at a reasonable cost and in an efficient time frame.

A few things to consider:

*If you’re not staying ahead, you’re falling behind.

* Why Cardinal Path Training?:

–          Hiqh Quality/relevant content reflecting the latest feature updates and Digital marketing trends

–          Trainers who are also practitioners and experts in their field

–          Hands on exercises to ensure you retain the knowledge

–          Fully engaged conversations with the trainer and your peers

* At Cardinal Path, your training doesn’t end with your training day…

Once you become a CPTA Alumni, you’ll be invited to join our monthly webinars where we discuss the latest news and features in the world of Online Marketing and Digital Intelligence.

And if you’re still struggling to convince your Supervisor of the the value of training – you can ask if they know what it costs to get to the top of the search results on Google (and claim my scoop of ice cream) or just show them this post.  And just to help you take your reasoning to the next level, we’ve created a sweet email template to help justify the expense of our training days. (Insert link to ‘Convince Your Boss You Need This Training – Justification Letter)

We’ll see you at the next training…ice cream in hand!

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SOURCES:

1) Studies Show Search Ads Drive 89% Incremental Traffic by David Chan & Lizzy Van Alstine, Quantitiative Mgmt Team 

2) Google

3)  The War on Free Clicks.  Adheretraining.co.uk

4)  12 Google AdWords Facts & Trends from 2013, Delegator.