+ The Future of Search Engine Advertising

Credits

Writer: Scott Cassidy

The kid sitting in the darkroom in the light of the laptop

You may have heard of SEO, but have you heard of search engine advertising? SEA is the future of internet marketing.

SEA is a form of advertising where the advertisements can be search engine optimized, and keywords are able to show up in search queries. SEA is not only a viable way for a company to get a leg up in search engine rankings, but it also enables a unique relationship to exist between marketers, businesses and consumers. It’s important to first understand what search engine advertising is and how it will change internet marketing’s future.

Everything is done in real time

With the evolution of search engine advertising, advertising through other means then changes into a faster, algorithm driven monolith. These types of advertising campaigns are done in real time instead of through thought out marketing plans, analog posters, and social uptake. SEA has the potential of sidelining other marketing efforts and it requires standardized metrics to function properly. Your business needs to be ready to accommodate this. Be prepared to provide up-to-date analytics.

No more blanket messaging

Blanket messaging, and other forms of outbound marketing, is in a decline due to the evolving technological market. Consumers are interacting with online technology contrarily different to traditional marketing methods. The days of sending out one email to thousands of potential customers are slowly fading away. The shift into SEA reflects a growth of content marketing that is reflective of the marketing world. Messaging is tailored to consumer’s feelings around products or company’s and the stories those things tell. Search advertising is also much faster than any outbound messaging. Algorithms can update based on past search queries and interests in the blink of an eye.

High user intent

Because search advertising is keyword specific, it tends to “target” or link to a specific audience, one who is preferably more interested in the item they are searching for. Using keywords allows marketers to provide select products, messaging and services to the perfect audience. This is overall a better experience for everyone. It will also shift the perception around advertising as not just an annoying pop-up with directives; instead advertising will be more of a connector or a pathway to get the consumers what they already want. With this type of information, advertising ensures that the user gets the best experience, which will naturally boost conversion rates and the company’s ROI.

More focused on brand awareness

Search engine advertising can significantly boost brand awareness. As ads reach more targeted audiences on a regular basis, the right people will become familiar with the company’s image over time. This not only creates lasting impressions, but also an emotional investment in a brand. Businesses that utilize this search advertising will find customers that believe in the company’s work.

Improved analysis and measurability

The data collected from search engines should be easily tracked, analyzed, and measured. It should provide in-depth information that will be of value to the advertiser. From the data collected, marketers should be able to glean total impressions, average ad position, conversion rates, cost-per conversion, average time a visitor spends on a page, and the number of prospects gained based on geographical location. This information along with other data can be extremely useful in determining campaign performance and can allow them to fine-tune their advertising methods for future campaigns.

Voice Search

Soon, search engine advertising will be taking another leap, moving up from text-based searches to voice-based. This will mean advertisers will need to have a deeper understanding of AI technology and voice-reader software. Advertisers will have to make the needed adjustments to their systems so they are ready for such a major change in the whole dynamic of marketing and advertising.

What’s next?

The future of advertising is constantly evolving and introducing new features that are destined to make a major impact on how you do business. One thing we can be sure of is that more changes are yet to come and there is no way to accurately predict the ways these new innovations will have an impact on how businesses are promoted. What we can be sure of is that these changes will be significant and that any business that wants to stay ahead of the game needs to start preparing now for this new wave in digital advertising.