Determining Which Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Network is Best

Through my own online research; I have found polls of online marketers describing which network they prefer with Google and Yahoo being commonly cited. Generally speaking, if you or your online marketing professional passes preference on which network is best before you start your campaign, this is probably an early sign of mixed success…if any. It’s ok if you’re just entering the paid search-advertising world to ask around. However, without communicating your business model through several online vehicles, you may not know which medium is best and could miss a potential opportunity.

We recommend using multiple search networks for several reasons:

1. The assumption that a searcher in Google is the same as Yahoo! or any other engine for that matter is false. Searches like anything else, have their own target market and respective audience. It is true that they are all providing solutions to an identified need (the search), however many search engines tailor their services other than providing search results, as in the case of Yahoo! and MSN. These act as portals and in effect attract a difference audience than destinations that just tailor to search.
2. Using multiple engines creates synergy between your search campaigns and typically will increase ROI in both. I’ve actually experienced increases of 5% and sometimes even higher in conversion rates when using multiple engines. In addition, there have been several studies that have suggested that consumers use more than one search engine when satisfying a search. Increasing your exposure, will enhance your brand recognition and in effect get you more clicks.
3. As you will find when you go purchase keywords or optimize your campaigns, click costs and conversion rates can differ greatly. By using multiple engines you can optimize your keyword purchases to maximize your ROI.
4. If your planning a search engine optimization project, using PPC data from the various networks will give great insight as to what you might want to focus SEO efforts upon. Plus, this will present a great opportunity to find where you can decrease your expenditures on your paid advertising campaigns.
5. Lastly, if you determine that your ROI is positive your strategy might quickly turn into “How much traffic can I receive from all of the search vendors regardless of budget.”

As you experiment and optimize your paid search campaigns, you’ll likely find the right mix of advertising that work best for your clients needs. Keep on the path for true ROI and that should light the way for unparallel paid search success.
[tags] pay per click advertising, ppc, internet marketing strategies [/tags]