Commentary

Making Sense Of 2009 Search Predictions

Bombarded with search marketing predictions for the year ahead, who's a marketer to believe? One thought leader often contradicts another, but even when some consensus exists, a lack of actionable recommendations can prove problematic.

 

When establishing a 2009 search marketing strategy, consider both sides of these predictions:

 

Search becomes even more personal

 

Google's Matt Cutts cited the decreasing importance of rank for any given phrase and other implications.

 

To be successful in 2009, marketers must strive for relevance in paid and natural search. The "everything to everyone" approach will become even less effective, and keyword research will emerge as an instrumental component of any plan to capitalize on increasingly personalized search engine results pages (SERPs). This will pay direct and indirect dividends for marketers that effectively adjust their strategies. They can only target so many keyword phrases, and non-qualified traffic will end up costing money and under delivering. The most rewarding efforts will include effective keyword research that directs marketers' efforts to target only the keywords most often used by targeted prospects.

 

Marketers should also keep these points in mind:

  • Natural search ranking reports will tell less of the story and become less important
  • Relevancy in PPC ads becomes more important than ever: keywords, ad copy and landing pages should match to boost quality scores and attract attention
  • Other ways to instantly boost relevance on the SERPs include:
    • Geotargeting for multichannel and local advertisers
    • Natural search landing pages, targeting specific people with specific keywords

 

Key recommendation: Improve relevance in PPC advertising, keyword research and other efforts to dominate SERPs.

 

The indecision of mobile marketing

 

Some luminaries claim that dedicated mobile Internet efforts will prove to be a waste of time and energy in 2009. Others argue that marketers must prepare for the mobile revolution right away.

 

Rest assured, mobile marketing will take off, and it's best for marketers to get in now and be prepared. Consider this: all Google has to do to instantly change the game in a big way is leverage Android to provide free satellite Web access or partner with T-Mobile to offer free voice or text. Google would know the location of its critical mass of people at all times, and that would open up a world of new, location-based opportunities.

 

Search continues to offer the path of least resistance into the mobile marketing world and a scalable method for getting in the game without spending an unjustified fortune. Marketers can do well by leveraging search to stay on top of mobile today and position themselves for ongoing success tomorrow.

 

Key recommendation: Embrace mobile marketing now before one event changes everything.

 

Search goes social; social goes search

 

Other pundits have foretold the movement of social conversations into a searchable format. A fundamental component of this argument is that value exists in social exchanges and that a searchable archive of these exchanges could prove valuable to a greater number of people. There's certainly an increasing amount of social chatter, and someone is bound to find a way to monetize it.

 

Despite some social media trailblazers adopting a performance based approach to advertising, Didit's Steve Baldwin, claimed "Social network valuations will crumble" and even referred to the prediction as "a no-brainer" in "Ten (Highly Cynical) Predictions for 2009." This prediction just doesn't hold water when considering the performance media opportunities from social networks like Facebook already paying big dividends for advertisers today.

 

Social performance media, when made available on a scalable basis to leading marketers, already offers great results. In fact, many marketers liken it to the early days of search. There aren't nearly as many competitors to deal with as there will be in the near future, and results are ripe for the picking. Plus, the skill sets of paid search marketers lend themselves nicely to making social performance media work at scale. Management technology, copy writers, bid management experts and other professionals can help marketers hit the ground running in social performance media in 2009.

 

Key recommendation: Take a performance-based, micro-targeted approach to social media as soon as possible.

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