Search or be Searched?

Search or Be Searched? Three Things You Should Consider About Search Marketing as Part of Your Marketing Strategy Written by Andrew Pierson

Over the Edge Marketing Concepts

Search or Be Searched? Three Things You Should Consider About Search Marketing as Part of Your Marketing Strategy

By Andrew Pierson, Chief Marketing Officer So, you’ve decided to venture into search marketing or are thinking about it for your practice. It’s probably a smart move. Did you ever notice when you want to make a purchase, discover more about a product or service, or just need a quick answer, you may have used the term “Google.” Just “Google It” has probably been said by yourself or by someone else when you want a quick response. I’m not convinced Google likes the term used in lieu of “search,” but the term has become a household brand for people of all ages, and how can you argue the recognition associated with its use?

closely examine Google, in 2013 there were 2.2 trillion which equates to approximately 5.9 billion every day.3 Basically, there are a ton of searches being done by consumers searching for answers. Now that you realize the true impact of search engine marketing, you should understand three things before you begin spending money.

1. 89% of Consumers Use Internet Search Engines to Make Purchasing Decisions According to a recent 2012 Fleishman Hillard survey, 89% of consumers rely on the internet to help make purchasing decisions.4 So why is this important? This is a rather large number. When you are determining how much you should spend on search marketing, this figure should be used for consideration. It’s no surprise that consumers are looking for products and

Search or be searched? That is the question.

Whether you want to accept it or not, people are searching the internet every day. In fact, in 2012, the estimated world population was 7,017,846, 922 with approximately 2,405,518,376 using the internet, according to Internet World Stats website. This signifies an increase of 566% in just over a decade. 1 The numbers are astonishing!

Out of the almost 2.5 billion people using the internet, how many searches are being done and with which search engines? As of April 2013, Google controls 66.5% of all searches followed by Bing/Yahoo with 29.3%. 2 If we

google-search-engine-market-share-how-manypeople-use-bing/>.

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"Google Annual Search Statistics." Statistic Brain. , 1 Jan 2014. Web. 23 Jan. 2014. <http://www.statisticbrain.com/google-searches/>.

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1

Internet World Stats. 2012. Website. 23 Jan 2014. <http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm>.

2

"Bing vs Google, Search Engine Market Share – How Many People Use Bing?." Mad Blog, 12 Jul 2013. Web. 23 Jan. 2014. <http://www.madwiremedia.com/blog/bing-vs-

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"2012 Digital Influence Index Shows Internet as Leading Influence in Consumer Purchasing Choices."

Fleishman-Hillard, 31 Jan 2012. Web. 23 Jan. 2014. <http://fleishmanhillard.com/2012/01/news-andopinions/2012-digital-influence-index-showsinternet-as-leading-influence-in-consumerpurchasing-choices/>.

This material is intended for use by financial professionals.

helping potential consumers make a decision about doing business with you.

services. Your practice should be showing up in the top search results.

Doesn’t it make sense that your practice shows up under specific keywords that consumers are looking for? Search marketing is literally about matching your service to help fulfill consumer demand. They are already looking. It’s an opportunity to showcase your services to potential clients searching for what you have to offer.

3.

Most people, regardless of their search engine marketing background, realize money is an important factor with top positions on the search engines. In fact, Google doesn’t make this a secret.

There are three criteria in order for your ads to show up on the top of the search results page under your keyword. These include: high relevance, good performance over time, and the competitive nature of your bid. It’s not as easy as it sounds. 6 This is where you should consider hiring a Google AdWords Qualified Professional that is certified in AdWords to help. It has become more complex to ensure your ad shows up under the keywords you request, within your budget, and within the proper page results position.

2. Search Engine Marketing Takes Place at Least One to Two Months Before the Buying Decision Not only is search marketing a good way to market due to its consumer demand, but the buying decision typically takes place within 30 to 60 days. 5 This is just another reason why search marketing should be part of an overall marketing plan. Consumers are using search engines to research and make a purchase in a relatively short period of time. When you think about qualified prospects, many financial professionals would like to have leads that are interested in what they have to offer and want to make a decision quickly. Also, knowing the decision time could make you want to have the most relevant content on the web pages that consumers are looking at. Your site should be “selling” for you 24/7 and

Yes….You Can Buy a Top Position…At Least This is Partly True

We could probably talk about reasons to do search marketing for another 100 pages, but you probably get the point. This should be considered as part of an overall marketing strategy that you develop for your practice each year. Search marketing can be complex, and it is recommended you speak with someone that is Google AdWords Qualified to help you and your practice with the process.

5

Bruemmer, Paul. "The Importance of Search Engine Optimization/Search Engine Marketing for B2B Marketers – Part 1 of 2." Search Engine marketing.

Marketing Today, n. d. Web. 23 Jan. 2014. <http://www.marketingtoday.com/emarketing/0305 /b2b_importance_sem.htm>.

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"Getting your ads above Google search results."

Google, n. d. Web. 23 Jan. 2014. <https://support.google.com/adwords/answer/1722 087?hl=en>.

This material is intended for use by financial professionals.

Personalized Brokerage Services has Google AdWords Qualified individuals on staff that can help you and your practice with your search marketing media buy. Please feel free to contact us at (800)225-4896 with any questions or to learn how we can help grow your practice.

We can help you take the first step with search marketing and work closely with you for other marketing and business development activities.

Andrew F. Pierson is the Chief Marketing Officer at Personalized Brokerage Services (PBS). His team is responsible for all Business to Business (B2B) and Business to Consumer (B2C) marketing initiatives for PBS throughout the United States. They have an extensive background in B2B and B2C marketing that ranges over a combined 64 years of experience.

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This material is intended for use by financial professionals.