Search Marketing Blog
Search Marketing Can Save Your Business From Extinction
Posted by Tyson Braun on 10.30.2008“It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.” – Charles Darwin
Adapting is key to a marketing plan, and at EngineWorks, we’ve harnessed fire.
Search engine usage also evolves, so to capture prospective customers you will need a weapon beyond a sling-shot. Tracking the behavior of search engine users is paramount to a successful Search Engine Marketing campaign and capitalizing on trends requires an approach that is both analytical and creative.
This is especially true for clients within the travel and tourism industry. For example, we have found a rise in search phrases indicating individuals turn to search engines during early stages of the buying process, along with an increase in geo-targeted travel terms, and economic search phrases.
Several articles, including ‘Wagging the Long-Tailed Dog: Search Behavior & The Economy’ points out that searcher behavior is shifting to include these economic parameters in response to the economic downturn. Marketers who acknowledge this shift stand to profit greatly from their astute observations, by allocating their advertising dollars to strategies with the highest return-on-ad spend.
Search engine users (i.e., your customers!) put forth their needs, wants, worries, and inquiries into search engines. As individuals advance their buying process, more and more are turning to the Internet for answers, and search engines are often the first step in this process.
For example, we have noticed a decrease in usage for terms such as “travel packages to China” and increase in terms such as “China attractions.” Instead of searching for specific booking information, these world-travelers are seeking content that isn’t explicitly travel related, but rather related to information gathering for taking a trip. Companies need to incorporate findings such as these into their marketing plan.
Even though travel businesses would like to see a terms like “luxury vacations with every amenity” flood Google Trends, triumphant businesses will be the ones who realize “cheap vacation” is more in vogue in late 2008.
The ability to adapt is key to your survival. Following searcher trends and reacting to them will save your online business, and keep you from going the way of the Dodo Bird.
