Comments on: The State of the Search Marketing Industry http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/2009/02/the-state-of-the-search-marketing-industry/ SEO and Internet Marketing Blog Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:23:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Andy Dawson (Blue Snapper) http://www.bruceclay.com/blog/2009/02/the-state-of-the-search-marketing-industry/#comment-18216 Andy Dawson (Blue Snapper) Wed, 11 Feb 2009 11:37:43 +0000 http://www.bruceclay.com/blog-test/2009/02/the-state-of-the-search-marketing-industry/#comment-18216 <p>Hi Susan. Thanks for the posting the summary info - it makes interesting reading. </p> <p>A couple of comments:</p> <p>Most UK PPC agencies I come across charge a % of ad spend which I think is illogical and an outdated model: why should a client pay more in agency mgmt fees just because they can spend more? The complexity/work involved in managing the campaigns hasn't changed. If the agency recommends increasing spend, is their advice truly for the benefit of the client? A flat fee is fairer in my opinion.</p> <p>I fall into the group that thinks contextual ads are great but, as stated by Gordon, only if you treat them completely differently to search: visitors exposed to contextual ads have different needs and are in a different mind-set (early in the sales cycle) so require ads/offers to match. You also can't leave them open and free-running: cull sites that generate clicks/cost but convert badly. With some client campaigns I manage, I'm hitting 30%+ conversion rates with this approach.</p> <p>Andy </p> Hi Susan. Thanks for the posting the summary info – it makes interesting reading.

A couple of comments:

Most UK PPC agencies I come across charge a % of ad spend which I think is illogical and an outdated model: why should a client pay more in agency mgmt fees just because they can spend more? The complexity/work involved in managing the campaigns hasn’t changed. If the agency recommends increasing spend, is their advice truly for the benefit of the client? A flat fee is fairer in my opinion.

I fall into the group that thinks contextual ads are great but, as stated by Gordon, only if you treat them completely differently to search: visitors exposed to contextual ads have different needs and are in a different mind-set (early in the sales cycle) so require ads/offers to match. You also can’t leave them open and free-running: cull sites that generate clicks/cost but convert badly. With some client campaigns I manage, I’m hitting 30%+ conversion rates with this approach.

Andy

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