Many small businesses are jumping on the search engine marketing bandwagon because it is affordable and results are almost instantaneous. But if search marketing really was so simple, why are so many businesses giving up after just a few weeks of starting a new campaign?
Based on our experience with search engine marketing over the years, we have determined 5 key reasons why most campaigns fail.
1. Not setting search marketing goals.
Setting goals not only drives your marketing personnel to achieve targets, they also set expectations and dictate budget for the campaigns.
We have seen too many search marketing campaigns run, out-of-control, over budget and under return. Set SMART goals before you start any campaign and stick with them.
2. Failure to optimize campaigns.
As the search keyword market fluctuations constantly, your marketing personnel needs to optimize bid-rates often so as to ensure optimal advertisement exposure and rankings.
Failing to do so, you might find yourself paying for impressions on the 3rd or 4th pages, which is highly undesirable.
3. Insufficient/Irrelevant keywords.
Many business owners often ask us what's the right number of keywords for their campaign; the answer is typically - upwards of a thousand keywords and as much as you need.
Because keyword generation and bidding is more of an art than an exact science, constant amendments to your keyword list is necessary to achieve optimal results.
4. Failure to track online traffic accurately.
Tracking your online traffic is one of the hallmarks for success online that many businesses overlook. Obtaining critical insight about your customer's movements allows you to not only optimize your online marketing campaigns but also provides you with direction as to how you can improve your website.
Your web host might already provide you with some basic tracking tools, but more sophisticated systems like Google AdWords, or Omniture provide deep insight.
5. Horrendous landing pages.
Last but not least if you have a poor website your visitors will not stay. So improve your site! Even simple navigational changes can make a big difference to the user experience.
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The next time you plan your search campaign be sure to plan it out carefully and set realistic expectations. And if you need some help you can always contact us, we we'd love to help.
Async Minds is a boutique Internet development and marketing firm focused on driving business through online channels. Services include: online marketing, web development and marketing consulting among others.
http://www.asyncminds.com