Search Engine Tips from a Search Engine Tracking Company
By Lori Weiman
Direct Response Technologies, Inc.
We chat
with a lot of folks at KeywordMax. Some pretty interesting
tips from smart search marketers have been revealed to us.
We decided to share some of this wisdom.
Study the Search Query
If
your tracking tool is detailed enough to let you see the
actual search query – you can learn a lot. If you see
traffic patterns arriving from a similar set of keywords –
then use those keywords to optimize your site in the organic
listings.
Then be
sure to track organic as well – you will double your volume
on a single keyword by owning real estate in both the
organic and the paid side.
Make sure
your tracking tool will show you the actual search query.
Look at
Your Average Sale Size
It
is not enough to see your total sales, you need to see what
was bought as well. Small ticket items mean really
expensive cpa’s, while big ticket items mean lower cpa’s.
You want to grow your average sale size. Concentrate on
the traffic that is generating larger dollar values in
sales, focus your efforts there. Make sure you are
tracking what was purchased, not just how much was spent.
You want a tracking tool that can track Sku’s and Product
ID’s.
Watch Buyer Behaviors
See
what people are buying or doing when they land on your site
from certain keywords. Use your tracking tool to see the
length of the sales cycle.
Tweak your creative. Try different landing pages and track
their conversions. Change your offers and value
propositions and track them as well.
We
have a client who sells a subscription service. They
noticed that they get a lot of looky-lous from certain
keywords (people who visit, but don’t buy). Instead of
trying to hook them with a hard sell, they started offering
something for free – a research report. This enticed the
buyer, and overtime built a relationship that eventually
turned into long term business for them. You can track the
registration for the free item, and then track the eventual
cash purchase.
If
you don’t have anything to give away for free – try sharing
a tip or advice with the visitor. If you sell athletic
gear – do a did you know? E.g. Did you know that gel
inserts can boost your running speed by 50%? (this isn’t a
real stat).
Remember – sales is about building relationships. Try it
and track it.
Tip for Google Adwords
In
Google, the best way to move up, is your creative – make it
compelling, and offer something enticing. Try bidding low,
but offering something great – like free shipping, or a
money back guarantee etc. Mention your great offer in the
creative – it will boost click thrus.
Tip for Selecting Keywords
Do
pick some generic terms. Everything you read encourages
bidding on niche terms. Niche terms are great for boosting
conversion rates – but what they lack is volume. We
recommend cherry picking some generic terms – testing and
watching them closely. They tend to be more competitive and
conversion rates are lower. However, if bid on correctly,
generic terms can yield the volume you need to grow. So
don’t shy away from the generic terms – use them wisely.
By Lori Weiman
Direct Response Technologies, Inc.
