Updated May 13, 2022
Reading Time: 2 minutesJust As Important as Measuring Conversion
In the quest for online visibility, market share, and closing sales, many businesses turn to Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Clicks, representing potential prospects responding to Pay Per Click ads (e.g., Google AdWords, Microsoft AdCenter) is the initial action. If you’re evaluating your online ad effectiveness, which is more important: clicks or conversions? We think the place to start is your SEM clicks. Here’s why:
The Organic & Paid Phenomenon
Getting an SEM click is the first step in getting a qualified lead. If the prospect doesn’t click on your ad, you don’t have an opportunity to sell them. With one exception… there’s a phenomenon that Google studied and documented. There’s approximately 30% lift when your brand shows up on a Search Engine Results Page (SERP) both organically (non-paid search) and an online ad. Psychologically human searchers think brands who show up on page 1 and who advertising appear more credible. The link that gets the click? The organic one. In this case, the content and context of the ad is important.
SEM Clicks Insight
SEM Clicks provide insight into your prospects’ behavior. Getting a click means:
- An ad’s headline caught attention
- The benefit featured resonated with your audience
- You’re on the right track
If you aren’t getting SEM clicks then editing your ads should be your first priority. Once you’ve got the attention of your potential audience, then it’s time to analyze your landing page conversion rates.
Don’t Forget Your Organic Clicks
You can get similar insight for the organic side of your online marketing efforts. In Google Webmaster Tools you can see how often Google served up your website pages on a SERP for specific keywords. This report also shows you how many times you received a click. If the percentage is low… that means you have work to do on your SERP ad which is:
- Title – Page Title or H1 is like an ad headline
- Meta Description – 156 character mini ad that sets up an expectation
- URL – which subliminally communicates where a searcher will land after the click
As you can see there are lots of similarities between SEM clicks and organic clicks. It’s the first stage of the lead generation cycle. Once a suspect is a prospect, you can now nurture them into a client.
Any strategies you’ve used to entice more SEM clicks?
How can we help?
Need help with creating landing pages that convert? Want to test different calls to action to find a clear winner?
We are the spectrum group, and we offer strategic and tactical consulting so you can monetize your online presence. Call us for a complimentary 30-minute consultation to discuss your website’s user experience and translate that into sales.