Maximizing Return on SEM Spend with Web Analytics

07/21/2008

By Les Kiyuna, Senior Director eBusiness Consulting

We marketers spend thousands of dollars every month to drive qualified traffic to our websites. How many of us have truly implemented a thorough web analytics solution to track incoming traffic for unique consumer segments? If you’re not using a web analytics service like Google Analytics, Omniture or some other segmentation-capable software, you could be misinterpreting your customers’ intent once they arrive at your website and be wasting precious SEM dollars!

Here are 3 tips for boosting conversions by optimizing with web analytics, specifically Google Analytics:

1. Filter for details. Google Analytics provides the capability of segmenting consumers via separate profiles and custom filters. Most search engine marketers have very well-defined paid search campaigns setup with Google, Yahoo, MSN, and others. By creating new Google Analytics profiles and filtering for specific campaign values being passed to your website, you’ll have a tool with detailed information for any particular campaign/visitor segment. Reports for visitors, content/path analysis, goal conversion/funnel analysis, and ecommerce reports will be at your fingertips giving you the opportunity to optimize specific pages and conversion funnels. With these highly segmented reports, you’ll be able to understand who your target consumer segments are and optimize appropriately to increase conversions.

2. Break it down by geo-segments. Marketers can also segment by geographic regions (countries, states and cities) to assist with geo-targeting efforts. Consumers from different regions often have different site navigation habits. Analyzing these differences allow marketers to create more insightful landing pages for visitors from a particular region. Understanding key geographic consumer segments, setting up proper PPC geo-targeted campaigns with relevant ads, and creating aligned and engaging landing pages will lead to increased conversions.

3. Track onsite search. It’s important and hugely beneficial to track the search phrases entered on your website. Visitors are usually very eager to find the information/product they are seeking. If the desired information isn’t readily available from the page they land on, they’ll typically conduct a quick onsite search rather than navigate an entire site. A simple setting in Google Analytics produces a bounty of reports such as % times a search was refined with another search, transactions by search phrase, revenue by search phrase, and so much more. By analyzing onsite search reports, Internet marketers can ascertain the effectiveness of each search phrase entered. These reports can be used to expand your PPC keyword list by focusing on high-volume phrases that actually convert. This can also help you optimize key converting SEO pages for keyword targets. Using this information along with a solid understanding of consumer/visitor segments and a great SEM strategy makes a world of difference when it comes to effectively converting website visitors into customers.

A great marketing strategy doesn’t end with just getting qualified visitors to your website. Through web analytics you can gain a deep understanding of different visitor segments, create a great website user experience, and more cost-effectively optimize & manage your SEM campaigns. All are critical for protecting those precious SEM dollars!

For more insight, visit Web Analytics.