http://www.pointit.com - This presentation covers marketing budget trends during a recession and aims to help you understand where smart marketers are spending their money. You'll learn how to tweak ad copy tactics to meet the market, how to increase keyword efficiency with less money, how to synchronize your SEO & PPC efforts, and much more.

1. Top 5 Paid Search Strategies in a Down
Economy
Jon Lisbin – Principal
206.525.3000
Jonl@pointit.com

2. Topics
• About Us
• Macro Economy
• Paid Search Economy
• 5 Key strategies to stay ahead of the game
• Some Q&A

3. About Point It!
• Seattle-based Search
Engine Marketing Firm
• 14 team members
• Servicing mid-market
firms and new ventures
• Incorporated April 2002

4. Our Clients

5. Macro Economic Impact
•The bull market $10 trillion in shareholder wealth since 2002.
•The bear market has wiped out more than $7 trillion in shareholder value.
•This bear market is already harsher than most of the 10 bear markets since the 1930s.
•People in 2000-02 saw their 401(k)s become 201(k)s, but the impact on their personal
lives otherwise was minimal. This time people who have home equity lines and use them
to pay for holidays or buy a car are finding that their loan facilities are getting pulled. That
affects the way they look at their own spending.

6. Advertising During a Recession
In a 1980-1985, McGraw-Hill
Research’s Laboratory of Advertising
Performance reported that b2b firms
that maintained or increased their
advertising expenditure during the
1981-1982 recession averaged
significantly higher sales growth,
both during the economic downturn
and three years following, than those
that eliminated or decreased
advertising.

7. Advertising During a Recession
A recessionary market can provide an
opportunity for businesses to build a
greater share of market through
aggressive advertising. This according
to The Strategic Planning Institute of
Cambridge, MA. Correspondingly,
businesses that reduce media
expenditures suffer loss of market
share. It was demonstrated that
aggressive businesses can accomplish
these gains through greater
expenditures without reducing short-
term profitability.

8. Are Marketers Cutting Back
in a Down Economy?
• Advertising spending on “new media” does not decline during or after a recession, it
just grows more slowly.
• eMarketer estimated in August 2008 that online ad spending would reach $24.9
billion this year, down slightly from its March forecast. That still represents 17.4%
growth over 2007.

9. Where are Online Marketing
Dollars Going?
Approximate Customer Acquisition Costs
Across Various Channels
$80.00
$70.00
$70.00
$60.00
$60.00
$50.00
$50.00
$40.00
$30.00
$20.00
$20.00
$8.50
$10.00
$-
Search Yellow Pages Online Email Direct Mail
Display Ads

10. Where are Online Marketing
Dollars Going?

11. The number of US Searches has grown
steadily, with Google outpacing the market.

12. Industry Economic Picture

13. Industry Economic Picture

14. Top 5 Strategies in a down economy
1. Ad Copy – Changing tactics to meet the market
2. Keywords – Increasing Efficiency with less $
3. SEO & PPC – Synchronize your efforts
4. Web Analytics – More insights for you and top
management
5. After the Click – Build a better mouse trap!

15. #1 - Ad Copy
• Reconsider calls to action and copy points.
– Price consciousness in. Conspicuous consumption is out.
– Clear benefits and messaging is in. Fluff & spin is out.
– Free and easy escapism is in. Complex is out.
• Stand out from the crowd!
– Emphasize value and demonstrate it.
– Differentiate from competitive ads

16. 72% of Retail Consumers
would seek Free Shipping

17. Ad Copy

18. # 2 - SEO/PPC Syncing
• In a weakened economy, marketers looking for best ROI
• Search proves to be far more effective than other forms
of marketing.
• Combine SEM strategy that includes SEO and PPC.
• Online study commissioned by Google and conducted by
Enquiro research there is a 16% increase in unaided
brand recall by having a brand presence in both the top
sponsored and top organic listings of a SERP.

19. #3 - SEO/PPC Syncing

20. #4 - Keyword Strategies
• Cut the tail
• Control your ego
• Review of negative keywords
• Daypart analysis for B2B sites

21. Cutting the tail
Majority of keywords did not convert in past 6 months
Keywords
1400
Converted
Non Convert
6229

22. Equaling 6% of total ad spend.
Cost
6%
Converted
Non Convert
94%

23. # 5 - After The Click
• Now’s the time to test out those new Landing Pages.
• Utilize Google LP Optimizer, it’s free.
• Set up your goals in Google Analytics
• Review click stream behavior.

24. Site Overlay

25. Google LP Optimizer

26. Segmentation

27. Goal Tracking

28. Web Search Volume

29. Salesforce Integration

30. Key Take Aways
• Economy is your opportunity to grab market share
• The recession is accelerating the shift from traditional to
online.
• Look at your SEM program as a system
• Write ad copy to help you stand out and offer value.
• Synchronize your SEM efforts
• Carefully review your keyword tactics
• Use analytics tools to
– demonstrate success to the C-Level
– Improve post click performance.

31. Top 5 Paid Search Strategies in a Down
Economy
Jon Lisbin – Principal
206.525.3000
Jonl@pointit.com