Marketers have battled through 2017, a year packed full of exciting developments in the digital space, and search marketing provides no exception. So what better way to reflect on some of the biggest learnings that have shaped both organic and paid search than catching up on the insightful presentations shared at the latest Figaro Digital Paid Search & SEO Seminar? Read on to get the lowdown from some top search experts on how you can ramp up your search strategy for 2018.
5 Common PPC Mistakes: An Auditor’s-Eye-View
Challenges within your PPC strategy are often best approached with an objective eye, and Imogen Pickles, Account Director at Genie Goals, is able to do just that. Bringing her auditing experience to the table, Pickles shared valuable lessons that can impact how a brand’s paid search strategy is received by both customers, and Google, starting out with clearly defined goals. “Until we can really answer the questions in terms of your business objectives and align our PPC goals with those business objectives, you’re not really going to get anywhere,” explains Pickles. Watch the presentation to hear advice regarding budget limitations, efficient keyword testing, structuring in achieve a high quality score, and much more.
Ad Writing For Business Success
The expectations marketers have from Google, and vice-versa, are constantly evolving, and as Stacy Westhead, Director at atom42 explains, bending the rules can help give you the edge to make your PPC ads stand out. “Up to two thirds of click on Google are from paid ads,” says Westhead, “so it’s important to put as much effort into writing your PPC ads as you would into a display campaign.” Find out how you can be smart with Google’s guidelines to break from the monotonous message of your competitors, and use your precious characters to strike a balance between efficient, interesting and unique.
The Formula Behind Viral Marketing
Viral content is an elusive and unpredictable phenomenon that can make the most unsuspecting brand an internet sensation. But although viral marketing is largely due to luck, there are a few tactical decisions that marketers can make with their content, search strategy and PR, that can put the odds in their favour. Dan Yeo, Head of Media and Online Relations at Search Laboratory, explains the science behind virality, and how marketers can position their campaigns and maintain PR channels that can help to send a brand’s search traffic sky-high.
Liberty Marketing’s Head of Content, Phil Woodward, explained how marketers should be making the most of their content, and namely, the goldmine of content that most brands already have. Working from your existing bank of content means marketers already have access to great ideas and concepts about their brand; data about content performance and customer preference, and pre-established authority and brand trust. And if your old content is already getting results, you have proof of its effectiveness. Find out how you can make the most of this valuable resource, and also how to enliven your old content to avoid being penalised by Google.
Google used over 200 ranking factors in its algorithm in 2006. Since then marketers have seen the release of epoch-defining new technologies (iPhone, Android anyone?) and an exponential rise in the number of search queries happening each year, so we can assume that the magic 200 is nothing but a distant memory. Stephen Kenwright, Director of Strategy at Branded3, discussed some of the most important factors for marketers to be aware of, and where they must invest the most effort and resource to keep up with the search scene in 2018. Find out how you should prioritise the improvements of your search strategy to keep Google happy and stay ahead of the competition.