Exclusive Roundtable: 12 Search Marketing Experts Answer MarketingSherpa Questions for 2006

Search marketing is changing so rapidly that it all feels a bit bewildering.

MSN is about to launch its new AdCenter. Rumors of a Google algorithm "earthquake" run rampant (but don't they always?). Yahoo!'s search team is plotting changes to recapture more of the paid ad market. AskJeeves just dumped Jeeves. Business.com continues to turn itself into a Web-wide network a la IndustryBrains, and so on.

Keeping up with all of this is a full-time job. Thing is, you already have a full-time job. Plus, the news of the day that's breathlessly reported in the press often doesn't truly impact your SEM tactics in a meaningful way.

MarketingSherpa asked twelve top search marketers seven basic questions about factors that really will affect many search campaigns in 2006.

(Note: In an industry mushrooming with self-proclaimed experts, how did we pick these twelve? All are appearing on panels at a major upcoming trade show in San Francisco. So, they have some credibility, plus you can meet them in person if you want to follow up.)

Question #1. What's the most common or biggest mistake you see paid search marketers making right now?

"Driving to landing pages that are not customized to search, AND the keyword or category searched on are the most common mistakes. Maintaining contextual relevance from the customer's initial intention through to conversion on the site is the key to success." -- Crispin Sheridan, Director, Web Optimization, SAP Global Direct Marketing

"Many search marketers invest money and time in Google only. While Google does deliver top quality visitors and has a simpler user interface, it is not the only paid search option; Yahoo drives a substantial amount of top quality visitors though paid search as well. Missing the lead and sale potential of 21% of searches is a big mistake." -- Barbara C. Coll, CEO, WebMama.com Inc.

"Not tracking well enough to take full advantage of paid search. A strict direct marketing focus that only attributes online sales within a short window of time to the paid search campaign can prevent a company from remaining competitive over time. Companies that consider offline sales, including phone sales, lifetime value and credit paid search as part of the consideration process even when it isn't the click that occurs just prior to conversion are the companies that can allocate the budget necessary to dominate the search results and ultimately drive the most revenue." -- Fredrick Marckini, CEO iProspect

"Important to never lose sight of ROI and to make ROI more important than vanity (i.e., seeing your company come out in the first position). -- George Garrick, President & CEO, Jingle Networks/FREE411

"Not running an integrated campaign that takes advantage of the offline/traditional media spend to drive people through search engines to specific destination/landing pages tied to the campaigns. Not using search to measure and evaluate the efficiency of their traditional media." -- Greg Sterling, The Kelsey Group

Question #2. What's the biggest search engine optimization (SEO) mistake you commonly see being made?

(Note: SEO is all the tactics from site design to copywriting that you use to get higher rankings in the "organic" listing on engines. Although you may pay consultants for SEO help, you don't pay the search engines a dime.)

"We very often see that what the SEO team wants to have implemented is either denied or only partly implemented because technology invented or purchased by IT staff will not easily accommodate the needed SEO changes, and instead of supporting the SEO effort, the information technology (web design) team will fight the changes."

"Many IT departments consider it insulting to be told that their web content management masterpiece needs to be changed 'just for search engines.' Apparently nobody ever told them that the search engine market reach makes SEO just as important as designing for a particular browser. Web designers will spend whatever it takes to make a site work for IE, but few want to make a site work better for the search engines."

"I have seen IT staff deny that the company even needs to be in a search engine in order to avoid changing their content management system to accommodate needed SEO changes."

"The 'we don't have time' (passive resistance -- ignore them and maybe they will go away) argument just does not withstand scrutiny any longer. The fact is that many IT departments simply do not want to change their systems because they do not understand the importance of SEO. Until the entire web team is taught to 'think search engine' and every member gets it, SEO will always be a battle, and most often a very frustrating losing battle."

"The president of every company understands that being in a search engine is critical and that the web site is the company's most valued asset. These same executives need to take control and teach their staff that SEO is a rule, not an exception. They need to make sure their web employees all understand SEO and take it to heart. The web teams need to 'get it' or 'get out.' This is survival of the fittest, and winners do SEO." -- Bruce Clay, President, Bruce Clay, Inc.

"Trying to optimize for too many terms and not focusing on the top volume and highest converting phrases." -- Crispin Sheridan, Director, Web Optimization, SAP Global Direct Marketing

"Many search engine optimizers are not involved in the business/marketing strategy of the company that they are working for. By not being involved at the strategic level they suggest optimization tactics that do not respect the branding and positioning of that company. This leads to search results that are embarrassing or misleading." -- Barbara C. Coll, CEO, WebMama.com Inc.

"Participating in inappropriate and often damaging linking scams in hopes of improving their search rankings and ending up banned from an engine completely. Second biggest mistake: Outsourcing to a firm that does the same. They can walk away from the damage done, you can't." Eric Ward, President, EricWard.com

"The most common mistakes we see are not planning for the traffic drops associated with major site re-designs by increasing paid search and/or re-launching during slower traffic times; not having solid analytics in place to understand the business outcomes and not just traffic arriving at your site from organic search; and looking at search as its own initiative rather than a part of your online marketing mix." -- Fredrick Marckini, CEO iProspect

Question #3. 2005 was the year of expanding keyword lists; what's the best competitive tactic to improving search ROI for 2006 for clients who have expanded their keywords as far really as it's worth going?

"A keyword list is a living entity. It should be constantly refined according to seasonality and be consistent with trends in market and human search behavior. That said, brands are not using keyword lists to enhance the brand experience and are moving away from direct metrics as the sole success criteria." -- Kevin M Ryan, Managing Partner Kinetic Results

"If they're using traditional media as part of their mix, buy the keywords that are unique to the campaign. There won't be any competition; effectively it's inventory that you create. This depends of course on the marketer and the campaign itself." Greg Sterling, The Kelsey Group

"Expanded keyword lists may increase the number of quality visitors to your site but it doesn't necessarily increase conversion rates. I admit that the more targeted the search string the more likely the visitor is to convert but it is time to put more emphasis on the landing page.

"Landing page modifications can increase the conversion rate from paid search campaigns -- period. Tailoring the landing page to the keyword is the first easy step that many have still not taken. But an even more sophisticated step is to tailor landing pages to the 'intention' of the searcher.

"For example, if someone uses a brand name in their search string they may be more likely to convert if the landing page speaks to them as someone already familiar with the brand. Another example, if the searcher responded to an ad with the word 'cheap' or 'free' in it, they won't be expecting something totally slick; give them simple and definitely give them something cheap or for free." -- Barbara C. Coll, CEO, WebMama.com Inc.

"Click fraud could rapidly diminish campaign ROI if not constantly tracked. Bear in mind that unwanted clicks need to be tracked using behavioral attributes not just technical. Just like a complete web analytics solution, a good click fraud detection tool should incorporate site data and not just be limited to duplicate clicks and anonymous proxy server information." -- Tom Cuthbert, President & CEO Click Forensics, Inc.

"Reduce your keywords list to the top-performing keywords based on cost per qualified response." -- Crispin Sheridan, Director, Web Optimization, SAP Global Direct Marketing

Question #4. Using press releases to get search engine traction -- this appears to be the hot trend of 2006. Do you see anyone doing it really successfully? Any practical tips on making it work?

"The newsworthiness of the press release methodology in search is interesting. Issuing a press release for the sake of link equity is probably the most popular means of abusing SEO-PR as it has come to be called. There are techniques in using appropriate keywords and link architecture in press releases that work, but the best practical advice I can offer is make sure you have something newsworthy before issuing a press release." -- Kevin M Ryan, Managing Partner Kinetic Results

"We've actually seen this as a successful strategy since 2004, but now it seems like everyone's getting on the bandwagon. Wire services are building press release optimization into their distribution. The most successful approaches here involve technology over content. Press releases are challenging enough to write coherently without loads of jargon, so trying to optimize the content will only make that challenge more arduous. Your best bet is ensuring that the webpage housing the release is optimized for search engines and news aggregators." -- Roger Barnette, President, SearchIgnite

"We have seen this work well for many clients over the last year. The biggest mistake we see is people trying to target too many key terms with one release rather than allowing each release to target a specific set of terms. We also see many clients still not measuring the business outcomes that result from these activities." -- Fredrick Marckini, CEO iProspect

"It's a tactic that frankly is already overused or used incorrectly by most companies trying it. Press release spam is a problem that all the engines will have to address. At some point press releases will likely stop appearing in news searches. Shouldn't have been there in the first place. When anyone with a few dollars and a keyboard can issue 52 press releases a year, you see where it's headed." -- Eric Ward, President, EricWard.com

"It works but it's just one tool in the arsenal. Constant releases to the newswires (every month, minimally) is key. Ensure that the releases are commensurate with what you're selling." -- Chris Consorte, President/CEO, Integrated Direct & Integrated Interactive

Question #5. Pay Per Call -- is this going to get enough traction to be a major segment in 2006? Who should be testing it, and who should not?

"May not have enough revenues in 2006 to be 'major,' but it will gain further momentum. Service businesses that need to fufill locally and call-center driven businesses that need or want to close over the phone. It's clearly not for everyone, but we should see some major traction especially after Google and Yahoo! put products in place." -- Greg Sterling, The Kelsey Group

"Dedicated call centers are the most efficient way to track returns, but that method is difficult and expensive. Most marketers develop profiles of behavioral response and make assumptions about actual returns. Until we have a practical means of measuring the return, Pay Per Call will not see explosive growth." -- Kevin M Ryan, Managing Partner Kinetic Results

"Pay per call's value proposition is especially strong for small businesses that have traditionally advertised in the Yellow Pages but barely if ever advertised online. However, much of the business growth is coming from larger advertisers that have budgets where they can experiment with new technologies. The best way to determine whether you should test Pay Per Call is if you know the average cost per lead for incoming calls, your average conversion rate for calls and your average order size. If you already have these metrics in place, you're in a great position to budget Pay Per Call campaigns accordingly." -- Roger Barnette, President, SearchIgnite

"This technology probably will start to become a real factor in 2006 or 2007. Because the 'conversion process' for phone calls (tele-salespeople pitching goods/services) is a much more mature process than online conversion, companies have a real opportunity to capitalize on the ability to pay only for actual calls. The drawbacks I see are that this new segment could suffer the same quality concerns as Pay Per Click (i.e., call fraud instead of click fraud, unqualified calls, etc.) and that if the segment catches fire, demand could quickly outstrip supply and drive prices into the stratosphere. If you can sell your product by phone, it makes sense to test it." -- Fredrick Marckini, CEO iProspect

Question #6. Linking strategies; getting hot again for SEO (shades of 1996), got a practical tip or stuff to avoid on this front?

"Please, please, please know the pros and cons of any tactic you decide to try. The engines are actively looking to identify linking tactics driven by SEO motives. The best strategies for one site are not the best strategies for every site. Holistic linking will become much more vital." -- Eric Ward, President, EricWard.com

"You mention the shades of 1996. The late '90s and early parts of this decade were the Wild West; anything was legal. There were no such things as 'best practices' then when it came to search engine optimization. Now that best practices exist, adhere to them. If you're using a third-party company, make sure they're not engaging in anything such as blog spam that could backfire." -- Roger Barnette, President, SearchIgnite

"I, too, am worried about the 'shades of 1996' with respect to linking strategies. Too many are looking for any link instead of looking at the ones of true value to the client site. Avoid buying links from sites that are successful only because they are distributions partners for PPC contextual networks. " -- Barbara C. Coll, CEO, WebMama.com Inc.

"Too many clients are obsessed with the number of links pointing to their sites. Focus instead on the quality, relevance of content and anchor text of the links. A small number of big wins will beat a large number of insignificant and irrelevant links every time." Fredrick Marckini, CEO iProspect

Question #7. Are you alarmed by any trends in the Search Marketing Industry these days? Anything you think folks should be watching out about?

"There's the ever-present click fraud issue. But beyond that, SEM has to figure out effective ways to build out new ad inventory or prices may limit growth." Greg Sterling | The Kelsey Group

"I think click fraud is largely overhyped. While it's a legitimate problem for certain advertisers, it's not going to slow down the momentum of search engine marketing. Search engines, search marketing firms and technology companies have often proven very successful at mitigating this issue.

"The most alarming trend is the speed at which innovation is happening. Every day, there are new developments with local search, mobile search, video search, increased targeting, personalization and emerging technologies. The biggest challenge is helping marketers make sense of all the new developments so they know what matters and how they can best benefit from it all." -- Roger Barnette, President, SearchIgnite

"As far as click fraud is concerned, there is increasing evidence that new patterns are emerging. While Google has improved impression fraud detection, a practice consisting of generating bogus impressions to reduce ad relevancy of your competitors to drive them out of Google, the fraud has spread to Yahoo and MSN.

"And more sophisticated bogus impression schemes are taking place on Google. Political activists and disgruntled employees, a new type of fraudsters not motivated by money, click on expensive paid ads from companies that they hate. They know which keywords are expensive.

"On the other side, many companies are changing their employee internet usage policy for increased security. This means that sometimes a same company or government agency use spoofed IP addresses or one IP and one same browser is shared by 50,000 employees. This can cause fraud detection systems to fail and generate many false positives, thus inflating fraud numbers.

"As far as organic search is concerned, I would be worried by individuals who have been banned by Google using the same technology that get them banned to eliminate their competitors. This and other schemes have the potential to reduce search results relevancy, already low in some categories such as mortgages. However search engines will fight back with more advanced relevancy algorithms.

"Over the long term, I believe that the concept of click fraud will be replaced by the much more meaningful concept of click quality. From a click scoring viewpoint, extremely poor clicks account for 10%, very poor clicks for 10%, poor clicks for 10% and less than average clicks for another 20% of all clicks. Correctly identifying these click segments using an appropriate click scoring system is of critical importance to increase ROI." -- Vincent Granville, CTO Authenticlick and CEO Data Shaping Solutions

"Companies are still not connecting their offline marketing initiatives with search. Search is treated like a silo, and in the growing digital future, that means leaving a lot of customers behind. Your search engine marketing firm needs to know when a new TV spot is going live, when a radio campaign will hit, when a direct mail drop is planned, BEFORE they happen so that they can take advantage of the cross channel opportunity. With too many organizations, the search team witnesses a spike in search referrals and only later learns that an off-line marketing campaign hit. Organizations must integrate their efforts and keep the search firm in the loop if they want to win in the new digital marketplace." -- Fredrick Marckini, CEO iProspect

Useful links related to this article (alpha order):

ad:tech San Francisco, the conference all the experts quoted above will be appearing at this April: http://www.ad-tech.com

Bruce Clay, Inc. http://www.bruceclay.com

Click Forensics, Inc. http://www.ClickForensics.com

Data Shaping Solutions http://www.datashaping.com/news.shtml

EricWard.com http://www.ericward.com

Integrated Direct & Integrated Interactive http://www.integrated-interactive.com

iProspect http://www.iprospect.com

Jingle Networks/FREE411 http://www.free411.com

The Kelsey Group http://www.kelseygroup.com

Kinetic Results http://www.kineticresults.com

SAP http://www.sap.com

SearchIgnite http://www.searchignite.com

WebMama.com Inc http://www.webmama.com