Gerry Bavaro

Articles by Gerry All articles by Gerry

• You Will Weather This Storm in Search & Performance Insider on 11/10/2008
  

  Last week I was on a panel at DPAC (the Digital Publisher & Advertiser Conference) moderated by fellow Search Insider Aaron Goldman, of Resolution Media that focused closely on the issue of whether search is indeed "recession-proof." Here are some observations and advice based on my talk addressing this issue.

• The Power Of A Message in Search & Performance Insider on 10/27/2008
  

  Marketers right now are struggling to generate the best possible results from their marketing dollars. Consumers are more than ever looking for deals, researching before they purchase, and are likely to be much more cerebral about what marketing messages they take note of and trust. What's a marketer to do when the total number of potential customers shrinks, and those left still spending must be driven towards an intended action more frequently and with the utmost efficiency?

• Search Bubble, Or Accelerated Evolution? in Search & Performance Insider on 10/06/2008
  

  The financial crisis is top of mind among marketers across the U.S. Many are wondering what it all means for the advertising industry as a whole -- and, importantly for us in search marketing, how we'll be affected. Here is my take on how the changing macroeconomic environment will influence the evolution of SEM.

• Is The Future of Media Buying Already Here? in Search & Performance Insider on 09/15/2008
  

  This week I was excited to learn that Google and NBC Universal struck a deal to allow Google to sell select TV inventory by leveraging its Google TV platform and Dish Network set-top-box data. Although the deal will only provide advertisers with the ability to buy inventory on the Sci Fi, Oxygen, MSNBC, Sleuth and Chiller channels, I believe this deal signals the next generation of media buying. Fortunately, for search marketers living in a world where strategic planning and campaign management already beats to a data-centric, real-time, technology-driven drum, we're all positioned nicely to capitalize on this evolution (and revolution)

• Shifting Paradigms In The SEM Agency Business in Search & Performance Insider on 08/25/2008
  

  In speaking to friends from other agencies who spent the last week out at SES in San Jose, I heard many of the same comments I've heard before: "it was really tactical," and "there wasn't that much forward thinking." Of course, anyone who tells you that the critical elements of search aren't extremely tactical is lying. Whether it's SEM, SEO, or forms of media that are cousins of search (contextual, social, integrated media buys, etc.) the path to success lies primarily in the successful execution of tactics. But the widespread feelings primarily from agency folks about the state of our industry's most popular trade shows reveal that they're missing something. What's missing? What would support paradigm shifts that forward the industry? Here are some thoughts: you're welcome to add your own

• The Anatomy Of Great in Search & Performance Insider on 08/04/2008
  

  In search engine marketing, "great" is completely relative and open to interpretation and opinions. However, this doesn't stop any of us from consistently striving for great results, opportunities, situations, and elements in this medium whether we're on the client side, at an SEM agency, or a global agency focused on media or traditional marketing.

• Manufacturing Relevance And Experience On The Fly in Search & Performance Insider on 07/14/2008
  

  A recent MarketingSherpa survey reported that more than 40% of marketers said that they didn't track conversions (23%) or ROI (20%) for their search campaigns. Like it or not, the focus in paid search is real-time optimization of keywords: bidding and all things click-related. This is the playing field where we primarily fix our attention based on its competitive, dynamic nature. Is this focus important? Yes, but there's a price we pay for such a polarized view.

• Please Pass The Data in Search & Performance Insider on 06/30/2008
  

  We can debate in-house versus SEM agency, SEM nomenclature, the definition of strategy, and whether "to integrate or not to integrate," but the one point we can all agree on is the fact that approximately 50% of online ad spend is now dedicated to paid search. The empowering force behind this un-sexy, "hard to believe it's winning" media is data. Data is also what's driving high valuations in social media and at the heart of the battle of the big three engines and the greater media world.

• Putting The Consumer At The Center of Search in Search & Performance Insider on 06/09/2008
  

  Over the past couple of weeks, I've had the opportunity to digest the thought-provoking, inspiring conversations that occurred at this year's Search Insider Summit. It's clear to me that we as an industry are beginning to view search more holistically. Yes, we still call it "search marketing," but let's face it: search is a behavior among many behaviors and interaction points, ultimately leading down the path to the golden ticket: an action (conversion, page view, subscription, lead, etc.). Here are some tough issues for us to wrestle with as the industry continues to evolve.

• Will Search Ever Get Its Fair Share Of Spend?  in Search & Performance Insider on 05/19/2008
  

  While macroeconomists fritter over whether the U.S. economy is in a genuine recession or just passing over a rough patch, it's clear that online marketers are reacting to these tighter times by reallocating spend towards more targeted media, with SEM appearing to be the main beneficiary. Recent earnings reports from Google record no diminution of spend or deflation of keyword prices, but a new report by ad network broker Pubmatic tracked a dramatic 23% month-to-month decline in effective CPM for Web sites across the board.

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