Why do advertising agencies neglect search marketing?
Written by John Ellett on September 26, 2008
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One could argue that the most effective medium for marketers today is search engines. Yet almost no advertising agencies have search marketing as part of their core competency. Why is that?
Our firm has taken a very different path and invested in building a strong search marketing team. We are one of the few full-service agencies to be recognized as Google AdWords Qualified. This not only allows us to provide much more unbiased media recommendations to clients, but allows us to do very efficient message and offer testing with quick PPC programs that can then be incorporated into other media activities.
So I’ll ask you, can an agency truly be “media agnostic” without incorporating search in its media planning portfolio?
Posted in: The New Agency Model
John Ellett is co-founder and CEO of nFusion Group, LLC, a marketing agency that helps companies plan, execute and measure customer engagement programs in today's complex media landscape.
3 Responses to “Why do advertising agencies neglect search marketing?”
I find it amazing how many business owners (small businesses in particular) overlook the online marketing world. More companies should be looking at the Internet as a level playing ground. The search engines don’t discriminate towards the size of your company, and you have every opportunity to overtake the big guy in your industry.
By pratt on Sep 26, 2008
There has been, in the past, a stigma associated with PPC. In the early days, the poor quality of the ads (”Used Socks” being a famous example) may have caused ad agencies to disregard the media and miss their value. I think, however, that is changing as more and more business see the potential. Ad agencies are sure to follow, but they will do so kicking and screaming. Their are no “Addies” for PPC campaigns and a text ad hardly looks impressive image hanging on a wall.
By cbarrett on Sep 26, 2008
To answer your first question, in my opinion, advertising agencies neglect search marketing because they fear it. Simply put. Search marketing is a very powerful marketing channel for both small and large businesses as it is able to provide what most other forms of marketing are not able to… relevant, targeted advertising. Search allows businesses the ability to place paid ads or organic listings directly in-front of the most-appropriate audiences, and only charging for those instances too.
In addition, due to multiple advances in our industry, search marketers are capable of tracking a search marketing campaign from search to click to sale. Meaning, we have the ability to provide our clients with revenue data and the necessary information needed to help them to fully understand the return on their investment. Try getting television, radio, and newspaper marketers to do that.
It is for these two reasons (targeted marketing and ROI tracking) that advertising agencies fear search marketing and will probably never incorporate such services into their offerings. If they did, they could pretty much kiss their hundred-thousand dollar commissions good-bye because I believe their client’s, after learning the benefits of search marketing, will put all or most of their marketing dollars into search, and very little into traditional marketing channels.
By Karl Ribas on Sep 26, 2008