The Online Advertising Playbook: Proven Strategies and Tested Tactics from The Advertising Research Foundation

Winning Plays

• Search behavior has become the second most popular use of the internet after email. Online advertisers are learning that search activity is an excellent way to find prospects and customers. But they are also learning that search behavior helps develop a more relevant match of advertising content with search content. This relevant matching often leads to more engagement, further information searching, and purchase intent.

• The growth in search behavior has introduced a new selection and pricing model for buying advertising space—auction pricing and performance monitoring. It is critical, however, to pay close attention to data collected on clicks and click-throughs to ensure true value for money spent. Advertisers developing a comprehensive precampaign through postcampaign measurement strategy are in the best position to understand their advertising’s effectiveness and brand performance.

• Search engine marketing has proven itself for traffic building, lead generation, and branding. The winning combination for search strategy appears to be a combination of search engine optimization and paid listings, which balance relevance and reach. Offline print and broadcast stimulate consumer searches. Their roles should be evaluated and planned as part of the search engine marketing program.

• Managing keywords and keyphrases, identifying and tracking the best performers are critical to successful search marketing. Successful online advertisers conduct research with consumers to learn ...