Search Term ResearchDavid Hughes

Head of Analytics

Email: david.hughes@icrossing.co.uk

Blog: http://connect.icrossing.co.uk

Who am I?0

UK

12UK

120A digital marketing agency with search and social at its core

David Hughes, Head of Analytics

Lead a team responsible for measuring user behaviour on

the web. Work across the whole portfolio of iCrossing

clients including Coca Cola, Toyota, HBOS and Orange

12FTSE 100 clients

120Staff

Global

580Staff

Global

13Offices

We blend SEO, paid search, social media, content, display

advertising, user experience, web development, and

analytics & insight to build connected online marketing

strategies

We create connected brands

I will be mostly talking about…0

Selecting Search Terms

based on value

Search Term research =

Customer Research

Search Term Selection

When we choose Terms on volume only…1

We’re acting like there is no competition!

What’s usually the desired outcome?1

Or maybe:

Unique visitors

Time on Site

Pages viewed

Monetised clicks

Quotes

Engagement

Etc etcEtc etc

We need to build Models1

For this model we need…1

…Search volumes

For this model we need…1 Heat Map showing click through rates

An understanding of where users click(And not just using 2006 AOL data)

For this model we need…1Natural Search Ranking Report

Where we are now(In natural search = rankings)

For this model we need…1

Competition

Technical

Restrictions

Available

1

2

3

A realistic forecast of where we can get to…

Available

optimisation tactics

Timeframes

4

5

6

7

For this model we need…1

Conversion

Rate by

keyword

Basket Value

by Product

keyword

Costs

Finally…1 Profit Margins (by product)

• Often difficult to get

• But half blind without

Can put a £value onto each keyword 1

Forecast Rank

Click Thru Rate

Expected Clicks

Search Volume

=Expected Clicks

Conversion Rate

Basket Value

Profit Margin

=

What does this mean for…Natural Search?1

New Profit =

∑ (sV * CTR (@fR)

x cR * pR * pM) – c – cp)

Where:

sV = search volume

CTR = click though rate

fR = forecast rank

Can optimise the

keywords that

will deliver the fR = forecast rank

cR = conversion rate

pR = product revenue

pM = profit margin

C = cost

Cp = current profit

will deliver the

most additional

profit

Case studies1

4 clients - change in incremental profit vs. picking KWs on search volume

97

%

31

2%

54%57%

Be

ne

fit

Op

tim

al

Sp

en

d

What does this mean for…Paid Search?1

Improves Profits

• Much of paid search management is

achieving the right balance between cost

and benefit; i.e. how can I make the most

profit?

• At any one time there will be optimum

bids on individual keywords and

therefore an optimum spend

Cost

Be

ne

fit

Op

tim

al

Sp

en

d

therefore an optimum spend

• This kind of analysis helps you find that

sweet spot

Customer ReSEARCH

“Link by link, click by click, search is building possibly the most

lasting, ponderous, and significant cultural artifact in the history of

humankind: the Database of Intentions.”

John Battelle

Author of “The Search: How Google And Its

Rivals Rewrote The Rules Of Business And

Transformed Our Culture”

“If you're trying to persuade people to do something, or buy

something, it seems to me you should use their language..”

David Ogilvy

Founder of Ogilvy and Mather

how people search is how they think2

shoes sizes search reflects life

2� Actual

� Search Volume

a Women’s b Men’s

Revealing customers wants and needs2 Discovering pinch points on the customer journey for BAA

Judging demand2 Finding out what music people like…in Brazil

For a Global

Fortune 500

company

Understanding the cultural landscape2 Demand from within Germany for non-German media (e.g. Turkish Ringtones)

Discovering Regional differences2 Variations in how different nationalities describe bathroom items

Thank you.

Contact:

David Hughes

ICrossing UK– Brighton

+44 1273 828 151 work

David.Hughes@icrossing.co.uk