5 Questions for Search Marketing: Part 2: What?

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In my previous blog post, I covered how asking why relates to search engine marketing. In this installment, I will cover how asking what is the basis of structuring your search engine marketing strategy and setting measurable objectives. Here are some questions to consider:

What technical assets do you have?

It goes without saying that you need a website if you are doing any search engine marketing. However, not all websites are built the same and the technology used can have an impact on your success. For example, a website built with Flash or with minimal text content can severely hinder your success. Furthermore, a web analytics program is an integral part of measuring performance. If you are not using web analytics, tracking results is limited.

What products or services do you offer?

By answering what products or services are offered, you can logically break them out which is useful in creating the architecture and navigation of your website and ultimately the ad group structure of your campaign.

What are people searching for?

The English language can be intricate and certain words can have different meanings or there could be multiple ways to describe the same word. By using a keyword tool, you can find out what people are searching for, determine the search volumes and gain some insight on the intent behind some of those searches.

What is your budget?

The amount you are willing to invest will go a long way in determining which strategy is best for your budget. Targeting certain keywords or networks may not be feasible with a limited budget.

What are your objectives?

In order to measure success, it is important to set goals. If your goal is to increase transactions, knowing the value of a transaction will help in returning a positive ROI. You will be wasting money if you are spending more money than the revenue generated.

Asking what will reveal information which is verifiable and can be measured. In my next installment, I will discuss targeting the right audience by asking another question. Who?

Cheers,

Denis

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