Uncovering Advanced Paid Search Strategies

Affiliate Summit East 2010
Uncovering Advanced Paid Search Strategies
Allen Hammock
Director, LookSmart

8/12/2010
2
Company Overview
LookSmart at a Glance
PPC Search Advertising Network
Search Pioneer: Founded in 1997; IPO in 1999; Ad Network since 2003
Headquartered in San Francisco; represented in New York City and London
NASDAQ (LOOK)
Employees: 70

Keyword PPC Search: Market Structure & Opportunity
What is a Search Ad Network?
Keyword Based
PPC Auction
Qualified Users
Non-Proprietary Traffic
Syndicated networks
No owned-and-operated search engine
Monetize traffic that doesn’t originate on Big 3 search engines
Highly diverse Traffic Types, Origins, Performance and Value
Intentional: search boxes, toolbars, domain navigation
Contextual: web pages, email messages, social media
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Non-Proprietary Search - An Important Part of a Diversified Online Ad Campaign
Source: Based on IDC, March 2009
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How Does Search Fit In?
Versus Display Networks?
Higher effective CPM
Targeting advantage, for now
Display is adapting (retargeting)
Versus CPA Networks?
Higher volume potential
Risk shifted to buyer
Competing based on CPC, not based on delivery
Versus SEO/Organic Strategies?
Never choose between SEO and SEM
Enhance your SEO through SEM
Measure the combined effectiveness
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Where is the Traffic Coming From?
Small Publishers and Search Sites
Domains
Networks
Contextual
Email
Social

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Why Expand?
Benefits of Expanding onto Search Ad Networks
Additional reach beyond the Big 3
Lower CPC ‘s
Superior customer service

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Why Expand?
Challenges of Expanding onto Search Ad Networks
Will the traffic I receive be of the quality I want?
Who should I run with?
Do I have time to manage another account?
Is the ad network platform sophisticated enough for my needs?

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Checklist
Questions to ask when vetting new search partners

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Checklist
Experience
ASK:
How long have you been in business?
Do you have any case studies/testimonials/customer references you can share?

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Checklist
Volume
ASK:
How many queries do you process per day?
Can you provide me with a traffic estimate for my keywords to help determine the kind of volume I might receive?

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Checklist
Platform Capabilities
ASK:
Do you offer the following?
Conversion Tracking: What kind of conversion tracking do you offer? What kind of visibility will I have into the traffic sources that are converting for me? How will the optimization process work?
Geo-targeting: Will I be able to target my ads by location? How specific can I get with my geo-targeting (country, state, city, zip)?
Day Parting: Can I schedule my ads to appear only during certain times of day (e.g. during my business hours)?
Site Level Targeting and Budget Capping Can you create a customized distribution channel specific to my campaign?
Ad Rotation Can I rotate different ads to help determine which ones are working best, and optimize accordingly?

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Checklist
Optimization Strategy
ASK:
How will you help me maximize my RPM?
Traffic Segmentation: How do we separate the wheat from the chaff?
Tools Integration: How do I get visibility into performance through the reporting tools I use today?
Mining Strategy: How do we balance my performance requirements with the ever-present need to grow my business?
Learning & Growing: If I invest my time in your traffic and platform, will you invest in me as your client?

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Checklist
Network Quality
ASK:
Do you filter invalid traffic? If so, how?
What kind of screening takes place before you add a new distribution partner to your network?
Do you work with any 3rd parties, such as Anchor Intelligence and Click Forensics, to help ensure traffic quality?

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Checklist
Service
ASK:
Do you offer account management services?
Do you have a customer support line? Does a real person field those calls to answer questions and offer guidance?
Do you have a team in place who is geared towards helping me achieve my success metrics?
What payment options do you have? Can I run off of my credit card or get a line of credit directly? What are the payment terms? How do you handle disputes?

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Checklist
Score Card

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Checklist
Allen Hammockallen.hammock@looksmart.netTwitter: @brainvat

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by Affiliate Summit on Aug 23, 2010

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