Performics Performance Marketing Blog: SEM, SEO, Social & Display

Performics Weekly Research Recap

Posted by Cristina Lucero & Christina Mannarino, Performics Research & Insights Team

Hello Everyone!

Highlighted below are some emerging trends and insights from September 23, 2011:

Search Strategies for Holiday 2011: Black Friday is Closer Than You Think!

eMarketer predicts online holiday sales will grow 12% YoY, and queries for “Black Friday” and “holiday shopping” have gained traction since July.  We outline four key components to holiday search success.

Download the PDF, or read the full post below.

2011 Holiday Search Strategies from Performics: Black Friday Is Closer Than You Think

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1. Ready Your Web Site

At this point in the year, any major changes to your site must be complete and you should have:

• Built new landing pages
• Optimized on-site content/tags
• Built incoming links for holiday terms
• Created a mobile version of your site (Research proves people are 51% more likely to purchase from retailers that have mobile-specific websites (Luth Research))

Three months out, there is still time to make impactful changes and the quickest win comes from proxy landing page optimization (LPO). Proxy technology can swiftly create, test and optimize landing pages without using internal IT resources. Boosting conversions even
a percentage point may help you meet – or exceed – holiday goals.  Five steps to successful holiday LPO:

• Conduct research to garner insights that inform design
• Assess your site’s critical paths to conversion
• Hypothesize about page concepts that will boost conversions
• Test landing pages to uncover the most effective conversion paths
• Optimize based on iterative testing

Ten Tips for Writing Engaging Lead Generation Landing Page Copy

Posted by Thomas White, Conversion Optimization Strategist

In lead generation, the more you tell, the less you sell. Successful pages engage a visitor by establishing credibility and relevance within three seconds or less.  Copy should focus on generating a lead, not closing a sale. 

Following these steps will increase page engagement and conversions:

1. Begin with the end-goal in mind: write instructional copy and button copy for the registration form.  The key performance indicator (KPI) of a page is usually a form submission.  The instructional and button copy are critical, as each leads the visitor to take action.
2. The most compelling copy is clear and concise, and guides the user to a desired action.  All copy on the page is written for one purpose: to entice users to fill-out the form (form field design is key to lead generation conversions and this will be a topic for a future post). 
3. Write strong headlines and sub-heads.  A visitor typically scans contents of a page in only a few seconds. Headlines and subheads need to pull users deeper into the page, copy or paragraph. Your headline should create curiosity and help to solve a problem (headlines can significantly increase conversion, a topic for a future post).
4. Align your ad traffic copy and your page copy to improve relevance and match intent with page content. The best converting landing pages match their headline or sub-head to the referring ad source.
5. Write a unique value proposition that differentiates your offer from your competitors. Present your value proposition before your call-to-action and above the fold to increase conversions.  Locate captions under each image on the page and develop a strong value proposition and call-to-action. Captions are the second-most read part of a page. 
6. Create copy that has a sense of urgency and exclusivity and watch your visits convert into leads. This is a powerful psychological marketing technique to drive immediate action—people want what they can’t have.  Use this to your advantage with copy like “limited-time,” “1-day only,” and “while supplies last” to emphasize the scarcity, uniqueness, and importance of your product or service.      
7. Write benefit bullets that focus on the result of using a product, not on the features, i.e. what’s in it for me?  Users quickly scan the page, therefore, always put the most important bullets and copy first with anywhere from three–seven bullets per list. Never use sub-bullets.
8. Identify and respond directly to your audience needs.  Use words like “you” and “your” in your copy and reduce the use of “we” or “us” that may appear to brag about your company, product or service.
9. Use short sentences or fragments of ten words or less. Write using active voice with action verbs and cut copy whenever possible.  Smaller sentences are easier for visitors to scan and digest main ideas quickly.
   a. Active voice example: “The widget cuts my expenses”
   b. Passive voice example: “My expenses were cut by the widget”
10. If possible, use social proof, like testimonials, to describe benefits of the product or service.  Use a personal picture if applicable to cater to your target market’s persona—using social validation techniques in your copy can increase conversions 20% or more.   

 

Performics SEO Link Round-Up: What’s Happening in SEO Around the Web?

Posted by Sam Battin, Senior Natural Search Specialist

As we do every once in a while, we’d like to present you with a “link round-up” of interesting items pertaining to SEO.

First off is a fantastic table showing the relative compatibilities of different mobile browsers with HTML 5.  For example, if your site uses Web SQL storage, would you be able to help out a visitor who’s using Firefox on an Android browser?  Find the answer to this and many other questions; it can save your design department a lot of time if you know beforehand which elements will work with which browsers.

Next, many retailers are wondering what they should do with their paginated pages vs. their “view all” pages.  Google’s stepped in to offer clear advice on pagination.  According to Google’s tests, people like seeing the “view all” pages more than they like clicking through individual paginated pages, and so Google will now be making a “larger effort” to get your site’s “view all” pages in its results.

The Results Are In! Did Online Buzz Predict the Emmys?

The results are in! Last night, the 63rd Annual Primetime Emmy® Awards took place and it was finally time to see whether the online search and social buzz around TV comedy’s top awards would lead to offline gold. In the Primetime Emmy® Online Comedy Index, Performics tracked which nominees commanded the most online buzz leading up to the show Sunday night, comparing and contrasting search and social chatter for all nominees in the three top comedy categories. Based on the analysis, the Emmy comedy nominees generating the most pre-show buzz included:

• Outstanding Comedy Series – “The Office”
• Lead Actress in a Comedy – Amy Poehler for “Parks and Recreation” or Tina Fey for “30 Rock”
• Lead Actor in a Comedy – Alec Baldwin for “30 Rock”

Industry predictions showed “Modern Family,” Lara Linney for “The Big C” and Steve Carell for “The Office” as the respective hopefuls in those same categories.

As always, Hollywood is full of surprises, and last night’s Emmy Awards didn’t disappoint. “Modern Family” won the top comedy prize, claiming the show’s second Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, as predicted by industry experts.

However, neither online buzz nor industry predictions scored gold in the Lead Actress and Actor categories. Jim Parsons of “The Big Bang Theory” won his second straight Emmy for Lead Actor in a Comedy, while Melissa McCarthy was crowned as Lead Actress in a Comedy for “Mike and Molly,” surrounded by her fellow nominees.

Easy Wins: Leverage Informational Video to Capture Demand, Deliver Experiences in Sight & Sound

What It Is: Strategic Content Development
Why You Should Care: High Demand for Informational Content
Channels Impacted: Paid, Owned, Earned

Performics Informational Video in Search Opportunity

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Most brands focus their search marketing attention on keywords that are closest to a sale or conversion.  But what about informational keywords?  Everyday, MILLIONS of searchers ask Google questions like “how to tie a tie,” “how to set up a printer” and “how to make an omelet.”  Brands have the opportunity to respond to these informational queries by providing helpful content to searchers, instead of a hard-sell message.  This content enables brands to connect—and start building relationships—with searchers.  Your participants are less likely to consider your advertising as manipulation if you give them a fair trade: provide them with helpful content, and they’ll be more open to your message. 

Performics' Emmy Awards Comedy Index

In anticipation of the 2011 Emmy Awards on Sunday, September 18, Performics' Marketing and Strategy and Analytics groups have teamed up to present search and social buzz around television’s top comedies. We’ve analyzed Google search and Twitter volume for Outstanding Comedy Series, Actor and Actress since nomination day, July 14. In an accompanying infographic with data from Google Insights for Search and Topsy Labs, our search & social listening analysis reveals who’s hot, who’s not and who might just get the last laugh.

Performics Emmy Social Buzz 2011

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Paid Search Trends to Capture the Deal-Seeking Shopper This Holiday Season

This article was first posted on Retail Online Integration

Posted by Fiona Gill, VP Client Services

In June, BIGresearch reported that 89.9 percent of Americans with jobs don't expect to see a pay increase in 2012. As a result, people plan to continue their belt-tightening habits: 58.9 percent plan to spend less on clothing, 53.1 percent plan to comparison shop and 50 percent plan to stay on a strict budget. So, how can you grow your holiday sales while consumers are reducing their spending habits?

It's not a revelation that people use search to find the lowest prices and most convenient ways to purchase products. Search engine marketing is constantly evolving to meet shoppers' needs. Perhaps now more than ever, today's searchers need and want coupons, promotions and free shipping. Search is therefore evolving to better engage these deal seekers. There are three promotional search trends that every cross-channel retailer should explore this holiday season:

• search-embedded coupons;
• free shipping; and
• mobile-targeted promotions.

Embracing these trends requires alignment between your company's online marketing team, offline stores and merchandising department.

Search-Embedded Coupons

As always, promotions will be a critical component of holiday sales. How do your promotions stand out on search engine results pages (SERPs)? Retailers have always been able to highlight promotions in search ad copy, but now there are beta opportunities to embed coupons within paid search listings — i.e., Google Offers. Like Groupon or LivingSocial, Google Offers provides daily deals and coupons. Google Offers' coupons can be embedded in top sponsored paid search ads on both desktop and mobile devices. The coupon appears below the search listing, allowing your listing to occupy more valuable SERP real estate and provide an incentive for deal seekers to give you a second glance. Searchers who click on the coupon are able to redeem it one of three ways: online, print it to use in-store or show their mobile device to a cashier to scan the coupon's barcode.

Performics Weekly Research Recap

Posted by Cristina Lucero & Christina Mannarino, Performics Research & Insights Team

Highlighted below are emerging trends and insights from the week of August 29, 2011:

Channel Insights

Social

• Facebook is getting out of the daily deals business after four months of testing, a move that may ease some competitive pressure on industry leaders Groupon and LivingSocial (Facebook)
  
  -Facebook started making offers in five cities and had a small sales team arranging deals with local merchants. But the company also ran offers that were set up by 11 other daily deal companies, including ReachLocal, Gilt City and Zozi.
  
  -Facebook stressed that it is committed to developing other products, such as Ads, Pages and Sponsored Stories, which connect local businesses with potential participants – Facebook is doing some major re-thinking around local.
• Survey: 65% of online adults use social networking sites. (Pew Research Center)
  
  -Only email and search engines are used more frequently than social networking tools
  
  -While seniors are testing the waters, many Baby Boomers are beginning to make a trip to the social media pool part of their daily routine
  
  -Users repeatedly described their experiences as “fun,” “great,” “interesting” and “convenient.” Less common were superlatives such as “astounding,” “necessity,” and “empowering.”

Affiliate Governance in Paid Search: Asserting Control to Boost Overall Performance

Posted by Craig Greenfield, SVP Performance Innovation

This blog was orginally posted on eMarketing & Commerce

Your affiliate marketing and paid search programs are intrinsically linked. For instance, your brand uses paid search to generate leads, while at the same time your affiliates use paid search to generate leads for you. Paid search and affiliate marketing success often depends on integrating your paid search program with your affiliates’ programs. This can be accomplished through affiliate governance.

Affiliate governance requires a flexible operating framework that can be used to relay core messages to your affiliates. Affiliates manage their search efforts independently, yet must be directed to follow brand standards and best practices. Affiliate governance strategies help in two ways:

1. They prevent affiliates from competing with your brand in paid search
2. They foster brand/affiliate collaboration to boost paid search visibility

Preventing Competition

Competing with your affiliates in paid search can raise cost per clicks (CPCs). It can also raise overall cost per acquisition (CPA). For example, your affiliates could be generating leads through paid search and charging you commission for those leads in situations where you should be generating the lead yourself, therefore avoiding paying said commission.