Alexandra Storey, performance marketing specialist at Google, talked to brands and agencies about how using Search effectively as an advertising tool helps them grow their businesses and connect with customers. Here's what they told her about the four key principles of an effective Search strategy.
Consumer behaviour has evolved as we move through this unprecedented global moment. But even with so much change, some things stay the same. For agencies, brands, and advertisers, Search has remained an effective advertising tool that drives business results.
Marketers who follow the key principles of using Search — be there for consumers, be compelling with Search copy, be experimental with your media strategy, and be data-driven with your decision-making — are seeing results. I spoke with leaders at Woolworths, Red Energy, Harmoney, and Resolution Media about the role Search plays in their business. Here, they explain how they use best practices to connect with customers:
"Search plays a critical role across our retail chains."
"Search is a pulse check on the Australian population."
"Search helps us reach our most valuable customers."
"Search gives brands so many opportunities to build a full consumer experience."
Be there
Not showing up on Search is like not opening the doors of your store — it really is the first step in making a sale and finding new customers. Ensure your customers can find you when they are looking for your category.
See more from other brands:
Be compelling
Writing a Search ad may seem simple, but small tweaks in language can go a long way to nudge consumers into taking action.
See more from other brands:
Be experimental
There is no one-size-fits-all media strategy for all advertisers and all consumers. Not to mention the landscape is constantly changing. The advertisers that see the best results are the ones constantly pushing themselves to test new things and find ways to maximise the effectiveness of their media.
See more from other brands:
Be data-driven
As with any marketing channel, there is always some art and some science when making decisions. Within Search Marketing there is just so much data available. How many searches are happening in your category? Where are users searching from? Which product drives the highest profit for your business? We have the power of machine learning to help make these decisions in real time.
See more from other brands:
Why Search works for businesses
Find out why Search is critical for these brands:
How Search is an effective tool for businesses
Learn how these brands make Search a part of the marketing funnel:
We find that when advertisers and agencies take full advantage of these best practices and invest in Search across the marketing funnel, they better understand consumer behaviour. This helps them get results that allow them to grow their businesses and connect with customers. There are four common threads that tie their Search strategies together:
To dive deeper into the thinking behind these guiding principles, watch our video series, "Decoding how consumers make purchase decisions."
