This document discusses missed opportunities for nonprofits in search marketing. It summarizes that nonprofits often have overly broad keywords, generalized copy, and insufficient keyword research for their paid search campaigns. They also commonly fail to leverage spikes in search terms related to their causes. The document recommends optimizing paid search campaigns through better keyword selection, bid management, copy improvements and campaign management. It also stresses the importance of multi-channel visibility and developing social media and testing strategies to improve search visibility and conversions.
4. 50% NPO 50% .com
Advantage in organic Budget for experimentation
Easier to leverage breaking news Branding PLUS Lead Gen/Sales
Better infrastructure for WOM, ROI/Measurement Focus
social media
Training and In House Set Up
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9. Other Common PPC Mistakes
• Failure to fully utilize Google Grants
• Analysis of costs/clicks/conversions once per month (maybe)
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10. Recent PPC Audit Example
RB’s First Steps:
Implemented keyword tracking code
•
Ran existing campaign with no changes for one month in order to
•
establish baseline ROI (new tracking code)
After analyzing results, RB began to optimize
•
Bids
Position
Keywords
Free (Google Grants) vs paid mix
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11. PPC Campaign Optimization
Google Grants
• Created 7 new campaigns & expanded keyword list for existing
campaigns
• Moved some paid campaigns to Google Grants
• Significantly improved results from Google Grants:
› 6,155 average monthly visits before
› 63,368 average monthly visits after
› Improved conversion rate – no significant changes to site!
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12. PPC Campaign Optimization
• Better keywords, bid management, improved copy, campaign management:
› January PPC spend down 65% from November
› January PPC visitors up 128% from November
Cost vs. Clicks
$16,000.00 100,000
93,127 90,000
$14,000.00
80,000
$12,000.00
70,000
$10,000.00 60,000
Clicks
Cost
50,000
$8,000.00
40,000
$6,000.00 36,116
30,000
$4,000.00
20,000
15,832
$2,000.00 12,258 10,000
$12,847.04 $14,470.81 $10,650.63 $5,047.84
$- 0
October November December January
Cost Clicks
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13. PPC Campaign Optimization
• December: 187% increase in donation value from November
• January: 65% increase in donation value from November
Cost vs. Donation Value
$19,000.00 $16,000.00
$17,567.00
$14,470.81
$17,000.00 $14,000.00
$15,000.00
Donation Value
$12,000.00
$10,650.63
$13,000.00
Cost
$10,000.00
$10,105.00
$11,000.00
$8,000.00
$9,000.00
$5,047.84
$6,124.00 $6,000.00
$7,000.00
$5,000.00 $4,000.00
November (Projected) December January
Donations Cost
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15. So What?
PPC is easy
PPC gets results
Why do I need a multi-channel strategy?
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16. Average Price per Click for US Paid Search, 2003
- 2009
$2.50 $0.47
$0.50
$0.45
$0.44
$0.42
$0.40
$2.00
$0.40 $0.36
$1.50
CPC 2005
$0.29
$0.30 CPC 2006
$1.00
$0.50 $0.20
$-
$0.10
Diabetes Charity Diabetes com Global Warming Sponsor a Child
$0.00
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
Source: JupiterResearch, August 2004
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17. Why Multi-Channel?
Research shows:
• Multiple exposures = higher click rate
• Multiple clicks = higher conversion rate
• Frequency of exposure impacts brand recognition…
• Visibility under multiple keywords, multiple search channels will drive more
brand recognition, more brand searches
• Traffic from brand-related searches almost always converts better
• ROI will be higher with a multi channel strategy because each channel
has its own efficiencies; A combined approach enables you to leverage
those efficiencies
Esp important for keywords & terms .coms are targeting
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18. #3: Social Media Strategy
• 45% of adult Internet Users have created
content online
• 54% of adult Internet Users have watched video
online
• 28% of adult Internet Users have tagged content
online
• 77% think Blogs are a good way to get
information about an organization
• My Space gets more traffic than Google
• Triple digit percentage increases in number of
visitors to SN’s in 2006
NOT A PHENOMENON…SOCIAL MEDIA IS HOW
WE USE THE INTERNET TODAY
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19. Social Media
What does it have to do with search?
• Brand Recognition – improves CT’s dramatically (PPC,
SEO, online advertising, etc.)
• SERP Shelf space and REPUTATION MANAGEMENT!!!
• Social Media can boost quality links which boost your
organic rankings…in other words, BETTER SEARCH
VISIBILITY
• Social Media increases chances of conventional media
coverage, which appear in SERPS
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20. Social Media Examples
Wikipedia
•
Blogs – your own, your supporters
•
MySpace/Facebook (local organizing)
•
Vertical SN’s: Change.org, Hot Soup; 43 Things
•
Ning
•
Flickr – photos from events, discussion
•
Second Life
•
Video
•
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21. A Word About Social Media
• DON’T start without a strategy
At best you will waste valuable time and effort, at worst you could
alienate a community and be the target of backlash
Social Media Training Workshop: Toronto SES, June 2007
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22. #4: Testing
Reactions by search advertisers to a scenario where the cost of paid
placement steadily increases over the next two years
0% 20% 40% 60% 80%
Try to improve site's
71%
efficiency at converting
Increase # of key words we
30%
bid on
17%
Grin and bear it
3%
Cease paid placement
Source: SEMPO, Intellisurvey, December, 2005
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24. Testing
• Testing for NPO’s should not be focused solely on
conversions. Testing is critical for sites where
engagement is necessary to achieve goals. NPO’s
usually fall into that category (advocacy, charity, even
membership/association NPO’s). If you want users to
come back, let them design the pages.
• A/B Testing possible without sophisticated tools
• New Free Tool for PPC Landing Page Optimization:
http://services.google.com/websiteoptimizer/
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25. #5: Tracking
Overall Conversions
Traffic Mar-06 Feb-06 Difference (%)
Total PPC Traffic 9,074 21.5%
11,565
Total Media Spent $ 2,444.71 18.5%
$ 2,998.95
Average Cost Per Click $ 0.27 -3.9%
$ 0.26
Donations
Number of Gifts from PPC Traffic 330 20.9%
417
Total Donation Revenue 30.6%
$ 18,250.50
$ 26,304.00
Average Gift Amount $ 55.30 12.3%
$ 63.08
Donation Conversion Rate 3.6% -0.9%
3.6%
Return on Investment
ROI 646.5% 16.8%
777.1%
Path Analysis
Landing Page to Donation Form -0.8%
15.4%
15.3%
Donation Form to Donation Completion -0.1%
23.6%
23.6%
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