Are You Really Measuring for Return on Investment (ROI) with
Search Engine Optimization?

Puzzling studies and reports suggest that businesses are missing
out when it comes to ROI, including a whole host of metrics that
should confirm or shape search engine marketing strategies.

You can’t accomplish much if you’re not even implementing SEO
the right way. We’ve seen web site after web site that includes
scores of individual keywords in the META keyword set (that many
search engines ignore anyway). The SEO team not only used the
wrong individual keywords (search phrases are better), but they
didn’t bother to include keywords in the page title or
description. And, of course, they didn’t think it was worth
their time to focus on multiple pages- not just the homepage.

Hint: If you’re selling dinnerware, “laundry” probably shouldn’t
be one of your keywords.

A WebTrends report cited in an eMarketer in 2004 showed the
following ROI:

Using Complete ROI analysis35.4% Click-through rates only24.2%
Conversion metrics18.7% Don’t measure21.7%

Barely one third figured a thorough ROI analysis was worth the
effort.

More than 80% of companies surveyed are dissatisfied with their
“ability to benchmark their marketing programs,” according to
“Measures + Metrics: Assessing Marketing Value + Impact,” a
stunning report based on a 2004 survey by the CMO Council, a
Palo Alto, California-based organization. The CMO Council
represents senior marketing and brand decision-makers in the
global technology industry.

“Less than 20% have developed any meaningful and comprehensive
measures and metrics for their marketing organizations,” the
report said.

It’s possible, Fathom SEO believes, that companies just settle
for what’s easiest. If getting high rankings offers enough
satisfaction, that’s where the measurement ends. Or, maybe a
business will look at total traffic (maybe even unique visitor
trends). With ppc, they’re apt to take up Google’s offer and
post an ad within 15 minutes, cranking out the common reports
Google offers. Businesses have a whole host of metrics that can
serve them as long as the data doesn’t fly over their heads.

Aligning SEM with Corporate Marketing Strategies You
should start by knowing how your SEM goals relate to your
corporate marketing strategy. Which of the following (or more)
do you want to accomplish? •Generate leads •Sell online •Build
brands •Grab more market share

Conversions You absolutely must track pages that allow
visitors to take some kind of action, including:

•Requesting a quote •Filling out a contact form •Placing an
order •Registering for a newsletter •Ordering a catalog

Establishing Your Metrics Determine which of the
following will be the metrics that will mean the most to you:
•Online sales (broken down by category) •Repeat visits •Profits
on sales •Customer satisfaction •Length of visits •Cost per
click (CPC) •Click-through rate (CTR) •Cost per conversion (CPC).

Get plugged into online consumers’ behavior patterns.

For example, studies show that consumers start researching
products online several weeks (12 weeks in some business-to
business scenarios) before they make a purchase – often offline.
Enquiro, based in Kelowna, BC, Canada, in 2004 found that 68.3%
of those surveyed used search engines for “consideration or
research.” The results are detailed in Enquiro’s “Inside the
Mind of a Searcher” research report that looks at issues
including four distinct types of searchers and the frequency
with which people search during the buying process.

ROI should be an integral part of any search engine optimization
strategy, not something that sounds foreign. Make it work for
your business.

Michael Murray, Vp Of Fathom Seo
http://www.articlesbase.com/seo-articles/how-to-develop-a-successful-roi-for-your-website-2378.html

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