Making the connection between search and search retargeting, followed by search retargeting in ad exchanges, mobile applications, and connected TVs will become the next phase for search engine marketing.
TagMan, a tag management company, embeds tags in mobile applications and will deliver a tool that tracks content and use by the end of the year. Jon Baron, CEO at TagMan, said the company's engineers continue to work through Apple and Google to meet strict requirements, similar to the way a developer might create an app. The company will not use personally identifiable data, but rather behavioral data in real-time.
Marketers need to understand how consumers search and use apps similar to the way they may search on iPad, iPhone, smart TV and desktop, Baron said. "How do you track the consumer from a text environment in a mobile app to the desktop in their home?" he said. "This is a behavioral change."
The mobile Web and mobile apps produce two consumer experiences, which in turn presents just as many challenges for targeting and tag management based on search data. Baron said TagMan's retail clients tell him that between 30% and 40% of sales now come through mobile.
That's one trend Baron sees among TagMan clients. Another comes from search data that feeds through bid management tools from companies like Marin Software, Kenshoo, or DoubleClick into ad exchanges such as Right Media, to produce search-like buying for display ads. By having the full stream of data feeding into a sophisticated bidding platform, it provides more relevant results. And it all happens in real-time.
For example, take American Airlines' 400,000 monthly keywords monthly, Baron said. That's a lot of data. A tag management company integrating search into display will analyze both SEO and paid-search terms.
TagMan's project with Didit powered display ads with search terms through ad exchange pixels and behavioral data based on specific requirements. Baron said Didit tends to segment consumers based on behavior and search terms.