Focus on the site-side If the shift toward a new approach to measurement represents the inward focus of search marketing in 2009, so too does the increased focus on the marketer Web site — and its connection with the search marketing experience. With growing budget constraints, search marketers will focus on getting more out of their investments through more effective siteside experiences. No longer a secondary consideration, conversion path optimization and field analysis will take hold in 2009 as a standard tool in the search marketer’s toolkit. Additionally, 2009 may finally see the end of the “point and shoot” philosophy in paid search marketing — whereby advertisers simply point paid search clicks at the most relevant pre-existing pages on their Web sites. Advertisers are making increasing investments in search-centric landing pages and mini-sites with the intent to align their content with searcher intent. The focus on the site in 2009 will allow advertisers to get more from their search marketing dollars, and nowhere is that more true than in the increasing focus on SEO. Focus on SEO If investments in paid search marketing are under increasing pressure in 2009, the opposite is true of investments in SEO. In fact, 2009 will likely be the year larger advertisers finally give it its rightful place in the marketing arsenal.
Two forces are converging to hasten this development. First, after three years of intense focus on paid search, advertisers are more confident they are covering the relevant ground in that area. They can now shift their attention to how they appear in unpaid listings, using SEO — a tactic many have neglected. Second, pressure on marketing investments is causing advertisers to get more from less. With average SEO engagements in the low six figures, this tactic provides a compelling opportunity. We expect this to be expressed in the following ways: The creation of search-centric content Content continues to be a dominant factor in strong search engine performance. Now, more than ever, Web site owners are using search query activity to drive how they develop content on their sites, linking user experience and content strategy with search engine marketing to create content that aligns with searcher intent. CondéNet, for example, used search query data to inform the launch of its Portfolio.com Web site, building out specific content pages for key business executives who garner large search query volume. Through their effectiveness in organic search rankings, these pages are among the most trafficked section of the Portfolio Web site.
35