Web analytics critical to search engine marketing, says iProspect

Web analytics has become a critical factor in search engine marketing – but it wasn’t always that way, says Bill Muller, director of marketing for search engine marketing firm iProspect. “Previously, everybody assumed there was a natural linkage between clicks and click to conversion – but we now realize that’s not necessarily the case,” Muller says “In order for us to validate our value to clients we encourage them to get involved in analytics, either by procuring it themselves or through services that we offer.”

While Muller notes most marketers do track clicks, progressively smaller numbers track ROI by keyword; by keyword by search engine, and by keyword by search engine distinguishing between paid and natural search. According to a 2003 survey by iProsepct and analytics provider WebTrends/NetIQ Corp., only 11% of more than 800 marketers surveyed did a detailed analysis of the research marketing campaigns, while 31% did no campaign or even click-through tracking.

IProspect uses WebTrends analytics to support its SEM activities and its reports to clients. The combination lets clients identify cost per visitor and cost per conversion for every keyword on every search engine they target with natural search as well as pay per click programs, Muller says. One retailer client, for example, used WebTrends analytics to identify its PPC campaigns that produced the highest conversions and then with iProspect optimized the site to improve natural placement for those keywords. Using the analytics data to seelctively optimize, the retailer was able to reduce spending on paid search by increasing the traffic from natural search listings, says Muller, who adds that within seven months of a site relaunch, the retailer’s referrals from natural search increased by 500,000 per month.

The retailer also found using WebTrends analytics that searchers who came to the site via certain keywords that indicated they were late in the buying process were more likely to make a purchase than those using other keywords suggesting they were earlier in the buying cycle. IProspect recommended the retailer optimize the site to improve natural placement for those keywords, but deliver visitors from the keywords to a different landing page on the web site.

“By optimizing the site for keywords that reflected visitors in the research phase of the buying cycle and driving them to a product literature request form, conversion rates of visitors to qualified leads increased by more than 100%” Muller says. In addition, he notes, WebTrends analysis showed that visitors who conducted their early research on the site were 18% more likely to return when they were ready to make a purchase.

“We ask clients how they are going to measure the effectiveness of our work if they are not measuring that they need to measure,” says Muller. “From our perspective, search and analytics are inextricably linked.”