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Targeting Usage Demographics to Increase Paid Search Conversions
Article:
During conversations with web business professionals about
pay-per-click search engines, "traffic volume" is always a hot
topic. Over the last year or so, Google Adwords has emerged as
the pay-per-click (PPC) search engine most enamored for driving
"traffic volume".
Indeed, with Google Adwords providing paid listings for Google
Search, the #1 search engine in the world, as well as American
Online (e.g. AOL), Ask Jeeves and MySearch.com, the fourth,
fifth, and seventh spots, respectively, for the most popular
search engines per a 2004 study by Neilson/NetRatings, it
deserves strong recognition.
However, successful web marketers understand that "driving
traffic volume" is only a means to an end - the "end" being
website conversion.
Website conversion is when a visitor takes action (ideally your
most wanted action) on your website after clicking through your
ad. It is important because it leads to financial results for
your web business and generates a return on your advertising
spend (ROAS).
Every web business consists of unique characteristics created by
their market demographics, psychographics and product/service
benefits. A PPC search engine that generates visitors who
convert well for one web business may fail miserably for
another. Therefore, when developing your PPC strategy consider
the search engines' "usage demographics."
Usage demographics are the profiles of Internet users who prefer
one search engine over others based on their perceived
functionality, content, and search result placement and
relevance. By understanding usage demographics for the search
engines Google Adwords and Overture supply paid listings to, a
web marketer can develop a relevant message and target an ad
placement that most effectively connects and converts their most
qualified buyers.
Although Google Adwords and Overture's partner networks consist
of thousands of content and search-based websites, the highest
percentage of their traffic originates from the five most
popular search engines. Among these, Google Adwords supplies
paid listings (i.e. Sponsored Results or Listings) to Google
Search, Ask Jeeves and American Online (AOL) while Overture
supplies Yahoo! and MSN.
Below are the primary search engine usage demographics to
consider when developing your PPC strategy:
A. Gender: Male versus Female
A May 2004 study by Hitwise showed that "55% of women prefer MSN
Search while a majority of men favor Google Search". Yahoo!
Search was split even on gender with a greater focus on people
18-34 in age.
A 2004 MarketingSherpa study indicated that MSN's user profile
consisted of time-limited, married females who searched less
frequently yet performed greater e-commerce searches. While
Google Search was favored by professional males who performed
greater news, media, entertainment and education searches with a
lesser intent to purchase.
For AOL and Ask Jeeves, AOL is favored by women with less buying
intent than MSN Search while Ask Jeeves is preferred by
children. Furthermore, an April 2004 iProspect study
uncovered
that, "women found paid ads to be more relevant than men did
when searching across Google, Yahoo!, MSN and AOL."
These statistics are startling when considering their influence
on your PPC strategy since women represent roughly 75% of major
household purchases and as stated in a Women.com study, control
80% of all purchasing decisions.
B. Relevancy: Paid versus Organic Listings
Another usage demographic to consider for your PPC strategy is
"perceived relevancy" of paid versus organic listings. Ads
perceived as having greater relevancy lead to higher website
conversions.
The iProspect study referenced earlier also discovered that
"Internet users are more likely to click on an organic search
link on Google, and a paid search result on MSN." Organic
listings on Yahoo! were considered 61% more relevant than paid
listings while AOL was split 50/50.
C. Age: Young versus Adult versus Seniors
A third usage demographic to review is age. Preferences among
the top five search engines are fairly mixed among age groups;
Yahoo! is a strong favorite with 18-34 year olds; while MSN and
AOL have a stronger preference among the 35-55+ age group. As
stated earlier, AskJeeves is favored by teens and adolescents
which is growing in their buying power within American
households as stated in a recent BusinessWeek research study. So
what does this all mean for your PPC strategy?
First, it is highly recommended to run Google Adwords and
Overture campaigns concurrently using keyword-level tracking
systems to determine which PPC search engine generates the most
cost effective and best converting visitors. Usage data
generated from your website is the best market research.
Second, consider your writing style. By understanding the common
characteristics of your customers and writing PPC ads best
suited to the search engine's usage demographics, you will
increase your probability of connecting with your audience and
improving your website conversion. Also make special note that
women have a stronger propensity to buy AND a higher "perceived
relevance" for paid listings on MSN Search.
Third, although Google Adwords accesses a larger traffic pool,
Overture's partner network, mainly MSN Search, has the highest
perceived relevancy for paid listings and the highest propensity
for purchasing. Although counter-intuitive to current
conventional thinking, Overture may deliver better "converting
visitors" than Google Adwords.
In closing, a greater focus on the search engines' usage
demographics when writing your PPC ads, targeting PPC channels
and developing corresponding landing pages will enable your
marketing strategy to ultimately achieve stronger financial
results for your web business.
About the author:
Kevin Gold is CEO of Enhanced Concepts, specializing in turning
website visitors into leads or sales, co-editor of
WebSalesability.com and published writer. Get a free report, "12
Sure-fire Ways to Increase Your Website Sales" and an exclusive
5-day website conversion email course by visiting
www.enhancedconcepts.com.
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