One thing is certain from this last year: online spending is not going anywhere. Which is why through all the ups and downs other industries faced in 2020, search advertising has raised expectations for spending this year.
Spending for all touch points, which combine desktop, mobile and tablets, is forecast to increase by at least 10%, and as much as 25% in some areas. That makes it the fastest growth since 2018. This is good news for anyone looking to increase conversions for your brand.
How did the pandemic affect search advertising?
When news of shutdowns first hit, uncertainty was high, and advertising responded in kind. In Q1 and Q2 many advertisers took a cautionary step and lowered ad spending. But as more people began to look around online, and order things directly to their doorstep, things changed. While advertising spending overall will likely increase from some of the flattened numbers of 2020, search advertising is forecast to do especially well.
How can search advertising increase conversions?
Like any good marketing, the best way to reach your audience is where they’re already at. And right now everyone is online. Increasing conversions through search engine marketing works with a consistent strategy and well-researched keyword usage.
Targeting audiences through the right keywords can be taken a step further by combining other targeted points like website visits and interests or behaviors. This use of custom audiences can make sure your ad spend is working its hardest to reach the correct users.
Various conversions can exist within the user journey, and each should have a desired CPA. Campaigns or ad groups defined by those different users should be segmented as such and can be organized by different keyword types: priority keywords, head terms (low hanging fruit), longtail, impression share, and conquesting (competition) to name a few.
How can search advertising increase sales?
Targeting your audiences for clicks or conversions can include a variety of strategies. The top way to optimize is by dividing into useful campaign/ad group segments, which are based on keyword groupings. With these divisions made, the next step is to use separate bid strategies for each grouping. These would ideally have Target CPA’s set to control costs.
These groupings allow keyword research, audience segmentation and strategy to work together. When everything is properly in place, your advertising will find ready audiences with the type of communication that will get their attention the best.