Google continues to take a big chunk of the search engine market share. Not only is there a fight to gain market share, but there is also a battle with online payment systems.
Google Checkout is offered as a convenient, quick, and competitive solution for e-commerce shopping. As a promotion for 2007, it allows businesses to reduce their transaction costs by providing free processing for their sales through December 31st, 2007. Google Checkout not only provides a competitive edge in pricing and costs when compared to eBay’s Paypal system, but it also helps businesses who already are part of the Google AdWords program. Individuals who sign up with Google Checkout and who are already using the Google AdWords program will receive a shopping-cart icon which will appear on the bottom left-hand corner of their ads. These icons show up on AdWords accounts that are specifically linked to Google Checkout and will not show up on AdSense affiliate network sites.
This icon feature is a big advantage. The sponsored ads will do a lot to attract attention. When you receive more clicks on your sponsored ad, you will usually gain better positions for your ad and receive a better click-through-rate (CTR). This should help you receive more conversions and potentially more revenue. The more eyes you receive on your website the better your chances are in converting the viewers to customers.
As a Google AdWords Qualified Company, Morevisibility is eager to incorporate Google Checkout into our client’s campaigns for e-commerce targeting and ad distribution. Contact your Client Strategist today if you would like to learn more about adding Google Checkout as a component to your campaign.
Search Engine Marketing is the Next Frontier for Consumer Package Goods Companies
A recent eMarketer article highlights the emergence of an under-recognized trend in search engine query behavior. Consumers are increasingly using search engines to find and purchase consumer package goods. No trip to the store required, search engines are becoming the most-frequented direct-line to consumer package goods for many Americans. Sixty-seven percent of the participants in the cited survey reported search engines as their number one means of finding consumer package goods online (eMarketer, December 29, 2006). And these survey results don’t just include people who are searching for clothing and other products that are more typically associated with online research and shopping. Instead, the survey results show that food, personal care items, and cleaning products, are high on consumers’ lists of products they find via search engines.
So what does this mean for consumer package goods companies and their advertising dollars? Search Engine Marketing is the key to reaching your customers online. Consumer package goods companies need to start invigorating their advertising strategies and budgets with more search engine marketing. And as these search behaviors increase over time, advertising online via search engine marketing will increase consumer package goods companies’ visibility and ensure they are reaching these consumers right from the start.
As of yet, this trend in consumer behavior isn’t being sufficiently recognized by the consumer package goods industry. While many industry leaders as diverse as Colgate and Gap Corporation are utilizing search engine marketing as a means to drive sales, most others aren’t reacting as quickly. It is estimated that only 1% of the overall 2006 advertising spend of U.S. consumer package goods companies was devoted to search engine marketing (eMarketer, December 29, 2006). For an industry so large and far-reaching, this lack of emphasis on search engine marketing as a heavily used advertising strategy is a hindrance to growth — the consumer package goods industry would be best advised to stay ahead of the consumer-behavior trend and engage in search engine marketing as a way to capture its evolving customer base.
It’s never too late or too early when considering optimization for your website. From this year’s online holiday shopping trends, we should be excited about what’s to come for 2007. With more people purchasing laptops and PC’s, consumers are becoming internet savvy and increasing their online spend.
This is where Search Engine Optimization comes in to play. Make sure your business/service can be found on the web. Keep your site user friendly, and run effective paid campaigns. These are basic steps to roll into the New Year.
Start your action plan for 07 and let SEO become a business driver for your website.
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