The NFL Salary Cap and SEM

MoreVisibility - March 7, 2007

It’s free agent season in the NFL and teams are cleaning out their clubhouses of older, higher-priced talent and signing younger less expensive players to carry on in their place. If a team can no longer afford an old fan favorite and can project the same production from another player or two — at a lower price — then it’s time to let them go; regardless of fan sentiment. (Brett Favre excepted.)

In the NFL, teams keep statistics on every aspect of a player’s performance: hustle points are awarded, tackles and knockdowns are recorded and every player can be measured on paper. In Search Engine Marketing, analytical tools and reports can tell you which keywords are providing an acceptable return and which words are costing you money. If a term doesn’t convert or is too expensive based on your business model, it’s time to part ways and drop it from your campaign.

Do some scouting for new words by using the keyword tools that are provided by the engines, or re-allocate your marketing funds to the words that convert on your site.

In paid search, your keywords are your players and your campaign account is your clubhouse. Use analytical tools to adjust your campaigns as needed. Don’t let your ego get in the way and hold onto a keyword that does not work for your business.