Paid Search & SEO for Branded Terms

By Yosi Anunson, Account Supervisor

Many of us search marketers have heard the argument: “Why should I bid on brand terms that are ranking high in the organic space?”, or “why should I bid for branded clicks when I get them for free?”

We can all agree that at first this seems like a fair point. Why run two listings on a page and pay for the traffic that comes through Paid Search when we can simply focus on non-brand terms and let the branded searches come through the organic listings. We can assume that traffic levels will be maintained and costs are reduced, right? Well, we all know too well that this is not the case.

As we have all developed search strategies, we are in a great position when it comes to understanding the best way to integrate Paid Search and SEO. Over the past 4+ years I have learned how to explain why we should always have a brand presence on both the Paid Search and SEO space.

Below are 3 key reasons for maintaining a brand presence with Paid Search while showing up in organic listings:

1. Protection

  • Competitors will take prime position on brand keywords if they are removed. This allows them to capitalize on the traffic which is ultimately intended for them.
  • Third party research supports the need for constant brand visibility through paid and organic listings as the net effect of the two produces a significant uplift in traffic.
  • We can prove with deep SEO analysis that we do not recoup the loss left from a paused brand campaign and that traffic will be ‘lost’ to competitors.

2. Visibility

  • Wherever customers are in the buying cycle, branded PPC ads need to be present to reinforce and influence the final decision to purchase.
  • Looking at last click analysis, brand PPC searches convert well, but they will also contribute to the user-journey at the earlier stages in the purchase cycle: the ‘Consideration’ and ‘Research’ steps.

3. Control

  • PPC is a completely flexible and measurable and as such is perfect for maintaining complete control of the messaging.
  • Messaging can be changed and updated regularly according to the latest offers and promotions, supported by campaign data and trends.

As our campaign’s demands require us to be as efficient as possible with the budget dollars, the perceived cost-saving from pausing brand Paid Search efforts is extremely appealing.

However, this is where we kick it into high-gear and educate. Helping them understand the benefits of marketing their brand through Paid Search and SEO simultaneously. Showing that running in both spaces can effectively double the likelihood of getting the all important click and conversion, Paid Search traffic typically does not filter down to the organic ad 100% of the time, and we are ultimately giving away the cheapest and most relevant traffic to their competitors.

1 comments:

CJeffCampbell said...

Yosi, good stuff. Here is some more support as well: http://www.findresolution.com/2008/03/branded-keywords-to-buy-or-not-to-buy_05.html

 
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