Performics OneSearch (Paid & Organic) Test and Learn Case Studies (July 2012)

OneSearch “Test & Learn”

“Test & Learn” Approach Brands should leverage analytics to develop strategies to achieve holistic search performance OneSearch testing can answer questions like: – What’s the optimal mix of paid & organic? How do we properly diversify traffic sources to avoid overexposure to organic search volatility? – Can we boost paid search position to maintain lead/sales volume if organic position falls? Can we drop paid search position for keywords that rank highly in organic search & still achieve our goals? – Does dominating the SERP in both paid & organic boost traffic, sales/leads & brand awareness at an efficient cost?

Case Study

How Do We Balance Paid & SEO? A Performics EMEA car manufacturer client wanted to discover the right balance between paid & organic search to maximize visibility, traffic & leads while minimizing costs Performics conducted a three-month OneSearch test on generic keywords, using 3 different scenarios: 1. One-Channel Test: We didn’t bid on any keywords that had top (1–3 ranking) organic coverage 2. Pull-Back Test: When SEO position was 1–3, we ensured that paid search position was 4–6 3. Dominate Test: When SEO position was 1–3, we ensured that paid search position was also 1–3

Results: “One-Channel” & “Pull-Back” The first two scenarios focused on  We sought to determine whether SEO could decreasing paid search position when the generate the traffic & conversions that would client had high visibility in organic search normally be driven through paid search  SEO traffic did increase; however, it didn’t pick up the slack from paid search: 86% decrease in Paid traffic 10% increase in SEO traffic 82% decrease in conversions

Results: “Dominate” The third scenario focused on determining  Initially, the dominate strategy was the gains achieved by dominating the SERP expensive as cost-per-acquisition (CPAs) in both paid & organic search rose. But over time, CPAs decreased due to higher quality scores. This “dominate test” amplified performance for the generic keywords & drove both incremental traffic & conversions 542% increase in Paid traffic 241% increase in SEO traffic 380% increase in conversions KEY FINDING: Both channels together = much high potency

Case Study

How Do We Protect Against Organic Volatility? A Performics U.S. lead-gen client sought to maximize holistic lead volume while protecting from organic search volatility Performics measured lead volume for a group of generic, mission-critical keywords as paid & organic positions changed We utilized a test/control methodology: 1. Create test & control keyword pairs based on performance correlation 2. Use control performance during the test period as a reflection of seasonality 3. Apply the variance of control keyword performance to test performance, and measure incremental lifts in test performance

Findings A drop in organic position for the keywords caused a significant decrease in overall (joint paid & organic) leads However, when organic position dropped, boosting paid search position made up for the loss in organic The chart illustrates the steep drop in organic position. This drop was followed by an increase in paid position, which protected the brand from losing leads as a result of the organic volatility:

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Performics OneSearch (Paid & Organic) Test and Learn Case Studies (July 2012)

by Performics on Jul 03, 2012

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