Conversion is not everything
It is well known that search engines can be used to acquire new customers efficiently and cost-effectively. The effectiveness of search engine marketing depends on controlling. Those who do not manage their campaigns with data and tactics are not investing their money optimally.
Most companies manage search engine marketing by monitoring the number of conversions or the costs per conversion (sales, inquiries, downloads). Other key figures are also crucial for a comprehensive assessment of search engine marketing efficiency. For example, the administrative costs per order: how high are these for an online order compared to a telephone order? Is it worth investing more money in online acquisition and thus saving administrative costs?
The influence of branding & reputation on ROI
In addition to the directly measurable returns, "soft facts" must also be taken into account - in particular the influence of branding and reputation on the brand image. In the search results, reputation is expressed in the perceived competence of a provider or brand. This manifests itself through a targeted presence in the search results under specific topics with an affinity for supply. The combination of reputation and branding results in a perceived brand perception among search engine users. Reputation can be controlled by the presence in the search results, taking into account the typical behavioral patterns of search engine use:
- "Informational search": Search for information on a specific topic or need. The search results in an offer (brand, product).
- "Transactional search": Search for a specific product. Consumers are often price-sensitive when choosing a provider and place an inquiry or order.
- "Navigational Search": The customer jumps directly into the decision set as they know exactly which provider they want to buy a product from and skips the "Informational Search" and "Transactional Search". The relevance of the website in the three search patterns can be measured using web analytics.
If you cover your potential in "informational search" broadly and deeply with your keywords, you have the opportunity to bring your offer or product into the consumer's decision-making set, bypassing the price argumentation.
Of course, it is also important to ensure that the offer or brand also appears at the top of the search results for "Informational Search" and "Transactional Search". Imre Sinka
