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What Search Marketing Analysts Could Learn From Sports Analysts

On the way to work one morning, I was listening to the Philadelphia local Sports Radio Station, WIP SportsRadio, that detailed individual statistics don't really matter as much as WINS and LOSSES. In fact, some of the radio hosts were animatedly opposed to statistics as a false representation of what they see on the field. They also talked about how statistics do not represent the athletes true skill set or mindset during the game. For example, you could be a Home Run King, but also the leader in strikeouts and be the worst 1st baseman in the field and lose games for the team.

Here is a great quote from a MLB Hall of Fame Pitcher, Tom Seaver: "If you dwell on statistics, you get shortsighted. If you aim for consistency, the numbers will be there at the end."

So that radio talk show got me thinking about how we can relate that mentality to Search Marketing and Web Analytics in general. Here is my view on how they are the same.

Similarities of a Baseball Analyst and a Search Marketing Strategist:

Typical Baseball Analyst: Most of them have played baseball for years, worked their way up the ranks and have the uncanny ability to provide insights about the game, what's going on in the players heads and what the audience is interested in hearing better than someone who just reports on what is happening.

Search Marketing Strategist: (In my opinion) Most SEM's have spent years "doing the actual work", providing cutting edge best practices, understand web analytics, understanding the client's business goals and objectives, dealing with multiple clients, presenting high level plans, etc... Over time, that person (should) be promoted to a higher level where they develop the strategic plan, organize a team around them and make the client happy and give them reports and ideas they want to hear.

Too Much Data Syndrome: I have often blogged about how there is too much data in analytics and too many evangelicals and analytics companies are pushing more and more nifty bells and whistles and putting a high price on them. However, with the sinking economy, increased CPCs and many companies going "in house" for the PPC Marketing, how can one afford the time to spend 5 hours comparing apples to oranges when all that matters is:

1. What is working?= Wins
2. What is not working? = Losses

In conclusion: According to Wikipedia.com, Baseball Statistics were not fully understood until 1951 and over time, (allegedly) more and more Sports Analysts use statistics as more of information vehicle than what is really happening in the "Winning" Column. I am not saying statistics are a bad thing, they are a crucial and certain metrics are more important than others and have and will always be a necessity to help make intelligent decisions.

However, the purpose of this post is to highlight on the fact that if you starting judging your clients or business success on a single statistic, you may not realize that your statistically best home run hitter often drops fly balls in the outfield and may cost you the World Series.

Today's Search Marketers Deserve A Little More Respect

Ok, I am going to go out on a limb when I say all Search Marketers are not given the respect they deserve. (Rodney - See Classic Caddyshack YouTube clip below - this ones for Toby & Bruce) C'mon, aren't we the driving force behind this $40 Billion Dollar Booming Industry (forgive if I missed a billion here or there. There is no excuse for this "ignorance in the air" that getting an impressive Organic Ranking or a good performing Paid Search campaign live on the search engines is something a 2nd grader can do, and it just... Makes me a little unpleasant (PG-13).

I have seen firsthand, from all levels of the corporate spectrum a, complete and utter misunderstanding of reality and even ignorance to try and understand what really goes into creating a really good Search Marketing Plan/Strategy, along with the countless hours of research, implementation, monitoring, testing, reviewing,optimization etc... They all just assume this happens with a push of a button.

So how is this happening?
I think alot has to do with the fact that this is still new to them. Still today, many Industries and Companies alike are just starting to catch on to the fact that online advertising, even though getting more expensive by the day, is still cheaper and more cost effective that other traditional Media, regardless of how intelligent the Plan is. Maybe, in the past they hired their nephew or neighbors kid throw together a basic campaign that sucked down the dollars until it ran out of money and assume that is how it's done.

In that respect, we also have to point some blame at Google for this, because they could care less if your a seasoned Pro or beginner, they make their money regardless. In fact, the less experienced you are with PPC, the more they will charge for you to play in the game.

Will this ignorance ever go away?
Yes it will over time. Just like in the Baby Boomer and Echo Boomer Generation debates that are going on where it's a matter of time until there will be one (1) generation E meaning EVERYONE. What I mean is, right now there is a shift happening where (some) baby boomers are relying on their children or younger Gen Y-ers to help them maneuver around the web. But as we progress over the years, we will bridge the gap to the point where everyone will be an intelligent searcher and Search Marketers will adapt a more "holisitic" Plan. If you are interested in this topic, I will have a a related article published in JWTBoom's LiveWire, The Magazine coming out in September, 2008.

As a Tribute to Rodney in one of the Best Movies ever made,
here's a great YouTube clip from the movie Caddyshack.

Exclusive Interview with Google's Peter Greenberger, Team Manager of Elections and Issue Advocacy

Semgeek is proud to present an Exclusive Interview with Google's Top Political Online Marketing GoTo Guy, Peter D. Greenberger, who's been at the forefront of Google's Online Advertising for the 2008 Presidential and Congressional Races. 

Question:  How are candidates using Display Advertising?
Answer: The candidates' use of display advertising has evolved over the different phases of the campaign. During the primaries, political advertisers targeted display ads featuring information on voting locations and procedures to specific states. Now that we are in the general election, persuasion phase of the race, the candidates are more likely to use display for educating voters on certain issues or policy stances. By placing banner or video ads on a variety of non-political websites, the campaigns can get in front of those hard-to-reach voters who may not visit news and politics sites.

Question: What do you expect to see at the local level races?
Answer: We are already seeing a trickle down effect from the high profile use of Internet advertising by the presidential campaigns. For the first time, all of the major presidential candidates used Google search, and now we are seeing an increasing number of congressional, gubernatorial and even local races enter the platform. The ability to target specific areas and even legislative districts helps down-ballot candidates efficiently reach only their voters.

Local candidates are using Google search and display ads in the same way as the presidential campaigns: to sign up supporters, encourage contributions, define their campaigns (and those of their opponents), and to persuade voters to support their campaigns. As we near Election Day, the strategies will shift towards GOTV - driving voters not to a website but to the polls.

Question: What do you think is the most interesting trend or trends you have seen over this past election year?
Answer: Overall, the rise of the Internet as a persuasion medium is the most interesting trend in 2008. It is no secret that the Internet is a great way to raise money, but now campaigns are turning online to persuade voters. This is very similar to the larger shift occurring in corporate America - direct response dollars have already moved online and now branding budgets are beginning to shift, too. This cycle will be remembered as the year in which political ad dollars began to move, albeit slowly, online. The spectacular growth of YouTube and online videos in general have a lot to do with this phenomenon.

Question: In your opinion, what does the future look like for Presidential and Non-Presidential races?
Answer: To a great extent, we are seeing the future of presidential campaigns right now. Many of
the campaigns made their candidate announcements online, Internet donations have filled the coffers of leading candidates, and social networking sites and YouTube have played decisive roles this election cycle. As a result, the digital team is emerging from the bowels of the organization to take a leading role. Smart campaigns will soon not even have a strictly "digital team;" instead the entire campaign will be Internet-savvy and fully integrated online.

Question: Will the recent Google & Yahoo relationship play a role in Yahoo's emergence as the premier advertising network for Political Candidates?
Answer: Google and Yahoo will continue to be vigorous competitors, and that competition will help fuel innovation that is good for users, advertisers, and publishers. For additional information about this deal, please see our blog post entitled "Congressional hearings on online competition and our ad agreement with Yahoo".

Question: Are you seeing an increase in Rich Media Ads vs. Traditional Static Banners?
Answer: We're seeing an increase in video ads as well as flash, though static banners and text ads still dominate. As campaigns become more comfortable in the online space, I expect that we will see more experimentation with different ad formats.

Question: Are there certain political parties who are more likely to spend more on Display or Search?
Answer: There is less of a distinction between parties than between individual campaigns and candidates. Both sides of the aisle have adapted search and display advertising with Google, and there are many savvy players in each party.

Question: Are you seeing any trends within the different Google Networks (ie. Placement, Content, Search)
Answer: Campaign strategies online correspond to the different phases of the campaign. Search is primarily a direct response mechanism and is effective at capturing the support of active voters looking for information. It is a campaign truism that your first vote is the cheapest and your last vote is the most expensive. Search helps make that first vote very, very cheap - as the campaign goes on, however, your cost per acquisition may rise as you move beyond your base of voters. When it is time to persuade undecideds, display or video ads on the content network are a great way to reach specific pockets of voters where they "live" online. Campaigns will contextually place an ad about energy policy, for example, alongside an article on a website in the Google network about higher gasoline prices. This allows the campaign to make its case directly to interested readers. For the final GOTV phase, I expect you will see a deluge of both search and display - both contextually targeted by issue and placement on specific sites.

Question: Does Google have a plan about possibly implementing a filter to stop Negative Campaigning, similar to what Newspapers with Op-ed's are doing?
Answer: In general, we permit political advertisers to advocate in favor of or in opposition to candidates for office and key public policy issues. However, we prohibit the use of personal  attacks. You can find a more complete explanation of our political advertising policies on our Google public policy blog.

 

About Peter D. Greenberger
Team Manager, Elections & Issue Advocacy, Google, Inc. 

Peter joined Google in May 2007 to build and manage a new Elections & Issue Advocacy sales team dedicated to introducing Google solutions to political campaigns, committees, and issue advocacy groups.

Previously, Peter grew the public affairs division of New Media Strategies, a Web 2.0 marketing firm, working with clients such as the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Discovery Networks, Ford Motor Company, the Granholm for Governor campaign, Merck, Inc., Wachovia, the Washington Redskins, and XM Satellite Radio.

Prior to joining New Media Strategies, Peter spent ten years working on presidential, gubernatorial, U.S. Senate and Congressional campaigns. Most recently, he managed Congressman Brad Carson's 2004 United States Senate campaign in Oklahoma. 

During the Clinton Administration, Peter worked in the White House Office of Legislative Affairs as the Director of Congressional Correspondence.  In this role, he coordinated all written communications between the White House and the Congress.      

Peter graduated from Yale University and earned a master's degree with distinction in Comparative Government from the London School of Economics and Political Science.  

Over 63,000 Non-profits Turn to GoodSearch.com During Economic Downturn

In our slowing economy, GoodSearch.com has become one of the most effective and unique solutions to help Nonprofits raise money online. GoodSearch recently reported that more than 63,000+ Nonprofit Organizations and Schools across the country have turned to GoodSearch's (2) two online fundraising tools which basically allow supporters to financially help out the nonprofits of their choice without spending any money of their own.

1. GoodSearch.com, a Yahoo-powered search engine which makes a donation for every search
2. GoodShop.com, an online shopping mall of more than 700 leading retailers that directs a percentage of every sale to the user's favorite charity.

About GoodSearch.com:
The company was launched in 2005 and founded by a Brother and Sister DUO Ken and JJ Ramberg who both acknowledged that "We all have a cause we care about - whether it's finding a cure for cancer, saving the environment, finding homes for abandoned pets or so many other worthwhile endeavors." It was this shared philanthropic vision that led the creation of a company that could support charitable organizations without taking time out of people's busy schedules. Furthermore, it was the idea that even the smallest fraction of the billions of dollars generated by search engines could make a huge impact on the Nonprofit Industry and other good causes. 

How GoodSearch.com Works?
GoodSearch is a unique search engine, powered by Yahoo, and built with "patent-pending" technology which provides the ability to track, direct search results and donate 50% off the ad revenue to the charities and schools designated by its users.

About GoodShop:
In 2007, GoodShop was created to be an online shopping mall of world-class merchants dedicated to helping fund worthy causes across the country. Each purchase made via the GoodShop mall results in a donation to the user's designated charity or school – averaging approximately 3% of the sale, but going up to 20% or even more. In fact, According to their website, "GoodShop will donate up to 37% of every purchase to the charity of their choice."

Are You NonProfit Interested In Joining GoodSearch?
Here are some things you need to know before your signing up your Nonprofit.

• To participate in our program, your organization must be a registered non-profit. This can include schools, charities, hospitals and clinics, volunteer services, political organizations, fraternal organizations, professional associations, religious organizations, governmental agencies, etc.

• If your nonprofit is a chapter of a national organization, please participate in GoodSearch through the headquarters.

• We currently only work with U.S. charities and schools but plan to expand internationally in the future.

• CLICK HERE to signup your registered 501(c)(3) Nonprofit with GoodSearch.com

In Conclusion:
The people at GoodSearch are providing a remarkable service here and are single handedly changing the way money is raised online for people and organizations who need it the most.

Search Marketing (from an operations standpoint) has become a very complex Industry. It is filled with complicated and ever changing algorithms, complex strategies, inflated advertising costs and increased competition. However, once in a while you come across a company like GoodSearch, whose core business model is about being Socially Responsible. Is your company Socially Responsible? If not, you may want think about.