Chrystie Terry

chrystie@gmail.com | 978-618-9992 | LinkedIn.com/in/chrystieterry/

Digital Marketing Professional 

Results-driven Digital Marketing Manager with more than 20 years of experience in internet and search marketing. Expertise in search engine optimization (SEO), search engine marketing (PPC and CPC), social media optimization, and content marketing. Proven record of accomplishment of meeting and exceeding conversion goals. Collaborative team player with creative problem-solving skills. 

Certifications and Tools 

  • Certifications: Google AdWords/Ads Certified, Google Analytics Certified, & AdCenter Certified 
  • Marketing Tools: HubSpot, Constant Contact, Marketo, Pardot & Kapost
  • SEO Tools: Raventools, Moz, SEMRush 
  • Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and LinkedIn Ads, Twitter Ads, Facebook Ads
  • Analytics Reporting Tools: Tableau, Omniture, Google Analytics
  • CRM Tools: Saleslogix, Salesforce, Pivotal, Cognos, Liveball, and HubSpot
  • Content Management Tools: HubSpot, Rhythmyx, WordPress, Liveball, Tridion, Sitecore, Kapost, Cvent 
  • A/B Testing for CRO Tools: Liveball, Optimizely, Google Optimize 
  • Other Tools: Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Slack, Asana, Monday, Trello, Jira, Basecamp, On24, Kompyte, Spyfu, Zymewire, ZoomInfo, SharePoint, Vimeo, Canva, and Hootsuite

Digital Marketing Experience

Onna – Digital Marketing Manager                                                                                                2022 

  • Increased qualified lead rate while decreasing costs through paid search and social media.
    • Reduced cost per quality lead by 30 – 45% and increased quality conversion rates by 30%.
    • Decreased cost per lead by 20% and increased quality leads by 70+% with ABM campaigns.

Castor – Social Media & Digital Marketing Manager                                                                         2021 

  • Increased qualified leads through content digital marketing programs.
    • Improved performance by 10% in 5 months for Google Ads and LinkedIn Ad campaigns. 
    • Created social media and campaign promotion processes, including ad creation, text, and graphics along with tracking and reporting processes. 

endpoint Clinical – Digital Marketing Specialist                                                                    2018 -2021 

  • Managed content marketing programs to create qualified leads through digital marketing programs across PPC, SEO, social media, email, advertising, and other channels. 
    • Increase website traffic by over 70% over three years via digital marketing efforts of industry-related content, conference promotions, and other programs. 
    • Increased conversion rates by 50% with new landing page templates.
    • Improved SEO and paid search campaign increasing traffic by over 60% and conversions by over 40%
    • Increased email marketing open rate by 25%, CTR by over 30%, and conversion rate by more than 40%. 
    • Improved reporting that resulted in enhanced optimizations to increase them by 40%+. 
    • Salesforce administrative management, creating reports, dashboards, and campaigns. 
    • Collaborating with Sales to create an ABM program utilizing Paid LinkedIn and email marketing channels to increase qualified sales leads by 45% via content marketing programs.  

Goodway Group – Principal SEM Analyst                                                                               2015 – 2018 

  • Managed various paid search client accounts with budgets from $1K – $50K/mo.
  • Improved KPIs by 10 – 55% for Google Ads, Display, Retargeting, and Shopping Campaigns 
  • Increased conversions by 10 – 25% through A/B and multi-variant landing page tests for PPC programs 

SDL (now RWS) – Online Marketing Manager                                                               2013 – 2015 

  • Managed content marketing programs through PPC, SEO, Social Advertising, and other online initiatives 
  • Managed Paid Search, Display, Retargeting, and Social Media campaigns that 
  • Increased lead conversion by 65% with an optimized landing page template through a/b testing and analysis.
  • Created and managed content on an industry news site with key stakeholders, partners, and industry-leading experts. 

New Perspective Web Solutions – Online Marketing Manager                                     2012 – 2013 

  • Managed online marketing programs for clients, including PPC, SEO, social media, and other online initiatives. o Increased organic search positions from 2nd to top 1st page results in Google. 
  • Increased paid search conversions through optimizations by 25 – 30%  

SokoloveLaw/D50Media – Search Marketing Manager                                                 2010 – 2012 

  • Increase quality leads by 15% and decrease costs per qualified lead by 10%, through improved efficiencies in both pre-and post-click optimization of paid media programs. 
  • Implemented and integrated tracking and analysis systems for CRMs and lead generation tools for reporting and optimization purposes, thereby decreasing unqualified leads from underperforming channels by 50% 

Makana Solutions – Product Marketing Manager                                                         2008 – 2009 

  • Increased site traffic by 50% by creating and optimizing new search media, social media, and other channels.
  • Increased lead conversions by 15% while decreasing costs by 25% for PPC campaigns, 
  • Managed Google Analytics, HubSpot, Google AdWords, and Salesforce Reporting. 

Network World – Sr. Manager of Audience Development                                                        2005 – 2008 

  • Increased site traffic by 30% by creating new online marketing initiatives utilizing social media, widget distribution, and other online traffic flow programs. 
  • Managed PPC campaigns to direct visits to fulfill conversion and impression goals for advertisers. 
  • Increased SEO traffic by 50% by ranking for key terms on Google by optimizing core sites and teaching editorial staff to optimize article content. 

Selected Freelance Projects 

  • Increase new student enrollment by 15 – 25% through paid search and social campaigns for College and MBA Programs.
  • Created and implemented on-page SEO strategies and optimizations for redesigned websites and holiday promotional pages to increase organic search rankings and traffic. 
  • Increase new registrations for an online medical site by 10% for Google Ads campaigns.
  • Increased new traffic by 40% by consulting social media initiatives for content marketing 

Early Career Experience 

Blue Dolphin Group – Online Product Marketing Manager                                                   2004 – 2005 

Commission Junction – Senior Search Associate                                                                  2003 – 2004 

Inceptor, Inc. – Senior Marketing Associate                                                                          2002 – 2004 

Alta Vista Software Solutions – Product Marketing Technical Writer                                               2001  

Education 

SUNY Potsdam College, BA English Literature and Writing, Minor in Secondary Education and Journalism 

Clarkson University, Cross-Registered Computer Engineering, and Technical Communications  

Jefferson Community College, AAS in Office Technologies, Minor in Computer Science 

 

Top SEO Apps

SEO Goes Mobile

For many SEO professionals mobile devices have become important tools allowing them to work anywhere anytime.  Mobile apps for SEO are empowering SEO professionals to utilize their mobile devices to gain insights into site SEO metrics from anywhere.  And with the ever changing SEO world it is more important than ever to utilize all the applications available to get the most out of your SEO time.

All about the Apps

There are a number of SEO applications out there that currently offer some form of SEO analysis and reporting.  Many desktop SEO applications have begun to create mobile app versions that either encompasses all or some of the desktop version’s capabilities.  Many of these apps are Free or their pro versions are at a very low cost to download while others require subscription to their desktop versions in order to operate.  Obviously some are better than others and although none are truly all encompassing a combination of some of these apps can cover most of your SEO reporting and analysis needs through most mobile devices.

  • SEO Automatic app – Is an app made for both iPhone and Android that generates reports on organic ranking factors for any web site.  Running web page reports analyzing on page and off page ranking factors such as site speed, meta data and inbound links as well as detailed recommendations for improvements.
  • SECockpit (Search Engine Cockpit) is a keyword research tool available for both Desktop and Mobile (only for the iPhone).  SECockpit generates keyword ideas and automatically gathers and combines keyword mining data with the competitive analysis necessary to make keyword research decisions easier.
  • Website SEO Analyser app – Is a SEO tool set available for free through iTunes for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.  This SEO app automatically analyzes websites and creates a report with a breakdown of both on page and off page SEO factors such as site speed, meta data and inbound links.  The SEO diagnostic analysis generated creates a detailed list of recommendations for improvement of your website.
  • SEO Search Ranking – Is a SEO ranking app available through the iTunes app store for iPhone and iPad users.  The app allows you to easily monitor the position of your site’s search engine rankings (SERP) for specified keywords.  You can analyze rankings for an unlimited number of keywords for as many websites as you’d like.  Allowing you to quickly access your Search Ranking information anywhere anytime for quick and easy analysis necessary for optimization recommendations.
  • WebRank SEO – Is an Android app that offers a free SEO competitive analysis of websites.  The app reports back website ranking, sociometrics as well as on page and off page such as site speed, meta data and inbound links as well as other SEO variables to give you a holistic view of your site’s total SEO rankings and unlike many other ranking tools it analyzes ranking across Google, Bing and Yahoo instead of just Google.
  • SEO SERP Tracker – Is an Android app that tracks your site’s website rank in the Search Engine Results Page (SERP).  Running analysis of keywords and their resulting website rankings are returned in the tool in a report that will allow you to get first hand quick results for your site’s search results.
  • SEOStats – Is an app available through the iTunes store for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.  The SEOStats app provides quick SEO audits of any website for SEO ranking factors for both on page and off page factors such as site speed, meta data and inbound link.
  • SpyderMate SEO Scorecard – Is a Free Android app created to allow you to score any domain based on SEO ranking factors based on Domain Authority, Domain Back links, Traffic Value, Keyword Rankings and Sociometrics.  The SpyderMate SEO scores websites’ performance giving you a snapshot of your site’s overall SEO stats and identifies competitive advantages and weaknesses.
  • SEO Manager – Is a Free keyword analysis app that gives real time keyword rankings.  Unlike other rank checkers this one works for not only Google but other search engines as well.  The application allows you to track your keywords graphs and reports.

This list could go on and on but these key apps seem to cover most SEO reporting and analysis needs across the widest variety of platforms.

With the myriad of SEO tools available across multiple mobile operating systems it has become easier for SEO professionals to monitor and analyze SEO data for their websites anywhere any time day or night on the road or at home.  The changing face of the mobile is empowering SEO professionals to work no matter where they are.

Top Ten Social Media Apps

Managing all of your social media networks can be a chore.  Posting to just one social network on a regular basis can be a time consuming task let alone multiple posting to multiple social media sites.  And with the every growing number of social sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Foursqure, Yelp etc. it could get very time consuming.  Thankfully there are Free and Paid Apps available to simplify the process of posting and managing social media accounts as well as analysis and reporting tools available.

Ten Social Media Apps for Businesses

  1. Hootsuite is free for up to five social profiles and works across a variety of mobile platforms including iPhone, Android and Blackberry as well as the desktop for Mac or Windows working on multiple web browsers including Safari, Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer.  The Free version of Hootsuite manages up to five of any combination of the following social networks: Twitter, Facebook, Google+ Business, LinkedIn personal and LinkedIn Corporate accounts.  Hootsuite allows users to create a single individualized post per social network or a single message post across multiple social media networks.  The Hootesuite scheduling system allows users to specify time and date for their posts or allow Hootsuite’s algorithm to automatically make posts for optimal viewing time periods.  Hootsuite is the most integrated app to the largest number of social networks and the widest variety of both desktop and mobile devices.  There is a paid version for $9.99/month allows unlimited social profiles as well as access to additional features including reddit social news feed and StumbleUpon service, as well as basic reporting and analytics.  More integrated reporting and analysis is available on a monthly charge at a per report level or charges.
  2. Tweetdeck is a free web application for Mac or Windows working on multiple web browsers including Safari, Chrome and Firefox.  Tweetdeck is also available for Android user’s through the Google Play store.  Tweetdeck is one of the earliest twitter management apps and can manage multiple Twitter and Facebook accounts at once allowing you to monitor your feeds and display search results continuously.  This allows you to respond quickly to mentions of your company, brand or products made at any time.  Tweetdeck also has scheduling abilities allowing posts across social networks to be made at pre-selected time and dates.  Since its acquisition by Twitter, developers have improved usability and added features to Tweetdeck’s capabilities.  However, unlike Hootsuite, Tweetdeck doesn’t integrate Facebook Pages for Business, Google+, LinkedIn or any other social media outlets.
  3. Bizo Switchboard allows you to know who’s clicking on your shared links and the opportunity to engage them.  The Bizo Switchboard is a free web-based toolkit that enables shortening and published shared links that are trackable.  These trackable shortened links embeds a code in your shortened link that will aggregate data in the Bizo dashboard with standard metrics that will give you data on those who followed your links.  Find out the Geo location, referrers, total clicks, unique clicks and much more.  BizoSwitchboard also has a “brand bar” that will create branded shared links that you are sharing through social media channels, email, press releases, etc.
  4. Klout’s social media scoring dashboard analyzes social influence and assigns a score.  Allowing you to check out the scores of your followers to see their score across social media including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and other account activities.  This dashboard score can be a great way to find top influencers and popular accounts.
  5. Topsy is a real time search system for social media updates.  Allowing you to build and monitor social media campaigns and topics.  Topsy aggregates information allowing examination of the latest Tweets, Google+ posts, photos and videos.  You can set email alerts for important keywords in order to monitor for your business, brand, or vertical.
  6. Birdsong is a desktop social media reconnaissance tool that gives you analysis and competitive insights into what brands are doing on social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.  Birdsong provides information about when brands are active, who’s engaging with them and reports the activity and compares it to their competitors.  Birdsong helps you to identify opportunities for optimizing brands across social media channels.
  7. SociaLink is so new it hasn’t been released yet but is due to reach the Apple App store by the first week of December 2012.  This app was created by a trio of University of Arizona students to narrow down online connecting.  Utilizing Smartphone Bluetooth capabilities two people with the app connect through their phones which communicate each other’s acceptances of connections and relevant friend and follow requests automatically across selected social media accounts.  Connecting to non app users is simplified by using the email that links their social media pages together.  This will make sharing and connecting via social media simpler and faster than ever before.  SociaLink will allow for instant connections supporting Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.  If the app succeeds in the App Store the next step will be to create an Android app.
  8. SNOView makes maintaining multiple network sites simpler.  SNOView Lite is a clean and simple interface that allows users to integrate multiple social network accounts into one app to allow you to view news feeds automatically in one main screen.  Connecting your Facebook, Twitter and Google + news feeds simply and easily into a single app can make keeping up with your friends and followers much easier.  It is the perfect way to read all your news feeds from Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ but does not allow you to update your status or compose tweets.  Available through the Google Play Store for Android.
  9. Pinspiration is filling the gap that Pinterest has caused by not having an official app yet.  Pinspiration is available for Android and Windows Phones and allows you to post and pin Pinterest posts as well as check out boards and posts from fellow Pinterest users.
  10. AgoraPulse is a management tool for Facebook.  The AgoraPulse allows you to update your page and schedule updates as well as applications that will assist in growing your fan audience.  AgoraPulse collects data based on information related to your fan interactions that can be utilized for targeting specific offers to your fan base.  AgoraPulse also has detailed analytics that will give you an overview of how your page and posts are performing.  Different levels of service give you more statistics and information concerning your Facebook page but also competitors’ Facebook pages compared to yours is available.

Although there is no single App that works across all social media sites or has all the functionality you may need a combination of the above ten social media apps can streamline your social media marketing and management processes in order to make the most of your time.

Top Six Instagram Apps for Businesses

Put Instagram to Work for Your Business

Many brands already have hundreds and some even thousands of pictures of products, services, promotions and other concepts running through Instagram across social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and Foursquare.  Since Instagram photo sharing is so simple across Facebook and Twitter have been the most notable social networks to utilize Instagram, but other social networks such as Flickr, Tumblr and Foursquare can receive simple feeds from Instagram as well.

Six Instagram Apps for Businesses’

  • Ultraweather – Weather Forecasting meets Instagram in this app that features current weather conditions and precise forecasts.
  • InstaChimp – Connect your Instagram and MailChimp accounts to more easily share photos via email.
  • Instablast – This app will notify users when new Instagram photos are taken by their favorite Instagrammers.  Notifications alert them when new content appears in their feed.
  • Timehop – Links to Instagram as well as Foursquare, Twitter and Facebook to send daily email with social media posts from the exact day in history.
  • 52 Grams –  Imagine taking snapshots of outfits and tagging products in your photos thereby creating a personal lookbook.  Sharing that lookbook with others.
  • Insta-Great – Presents Instagram photos in a horizontal timeline.  Easily searchable via #tags.
  • Statigram – Instagram persona management tool that breaks down Instagram statistics and user information for users to maximize their posts.

Instagram is an unusual marketing tool that brings together photography, content and community to allow businesses to convey stronger and more relevant content for their audience that will become more engaged.

Top Web Analytics Apps

In this fast passed industry it is imperative to do a lot more while on the move.  That is no truer than in online marketing where web site analytics are vital to the lifeblood of online marketing.  Being able to access site analytics from any device at any time has spawned a variety of apps for both iPhone and Android markets.  Most are integrated with your Google Analytics account(s). Obviously some are better than others and although none are truly all encompassing apps a combination of them can cover most of your Analytics needs through most mobile devices.

  • Google Analytics – Is a Free Android app giving access to your Google Analytics profiles for real time statistics, customized dashboards and intelligence and reporting to your mobile device.
  • Analytics App – Is a Free application allowing instant, mobile access to Google Analytics for iPhone and iPod Touch users.  The Analytics App interface makes it easier to check and analyze site stats in your Google Analytics account.  This Analytics App gives you access to overview and detailed reports for deep analysis as well supporting multiple accounts, sites and logins.
  • mAnaltics – Is a Free handy Google Analytics app for Android users featuring easy to use login allowing you to view your website Google Analytics stats from any Android device.  Supporting multiple accounts and profiles to give access to Stats and charts and daily statistics.
  • Applidium Analytic – Is a Free iPhone app that allows you to monitor traffic to your various web sites through your Google Analytics Account(s).  Giving you access to summary information in graphis and charts form.  This give you a quick view of your site’s key performance indicators such as visitors, page views, bounce rate, etc.
  • Analytics Widget – Is a Free Android app available for online marketing professionals to track Google Analytics, Twitter and Facebook data.  Able to track key performance indicators through Google Analytics as well as aggregating Twitter and Facebook numbers.
  • GoAnalytics – Is a Free Android app for viewing Google Analytics stats on your mobile devices.  The client allows you to view your website Google Analytics stats across multiple accounts and profiles.
  • Desktop Web Analytics-Mobile – Is a Free Android app designed to visualize Piwik Analytics data on your mobile devices.  Able to support multiple accounts and create most reports available through Piwik.
  • I Spy Analytics – Is a Free Android app brings Google Analytics reports to your fingertips.  The tool tracks website metrics and real time information on the go.  The simple traditional reporting platform is easy to use with instant data on all your Key Performance metrics including Visitors, Traffic Sources, Goals, and Content.  The app makes it easier to access your statistics in a configurable dashboard across multiple accounts.
  • Analytix for Google Analytics – Is an Android app available for the modest price of $1.99, for visualizing Google Analytics Data in near real-time (hourly view).  Analytix visualizes Google Analytics data with graphics and charts allowing you to compare today’s results with yesterday or last week quickly and easily.
  • gAnalytics – Is a Free Android app that allows you to check your Google Analytics stats anywhere.  The gAnalytics app plugs into your Google Analytics account for easy access to your Google Analytics statistics and reporting.  Access to your Visitor, Content, Goals and Ecommerce data through your Android device for any set time period.
  • Analytics Agent Pro – is an applications that comes in a lite (Free) version as well as a modestly priced ($2.99) Pro version.  This app not only gives you the ability to check Google analytics but also your Adwords and Adsense data and tracks all your organic traffic.  Because Analytics Agent Pro is developed based on the Google Analytics’ API you are able to manage your Google Analytics from this app available for iPhone or iTouch use.
  • Analyics  – Is a Free iPhone app that supports multiple Google Analytics profiles with remote access that allows you to access your Google Analytics account anywhere, anytime.
  • Clicky Web Analytics – Is a Free iPhone app that allows you to monitor, analyze and report your web site’s traffic in real time.  The interface makes understanding your site’s traffic data simple.

This list could go on and on but these key apps seem to cover most website analytics and applications available across the widest variety of platforms.

Google Analytics has become the most valuable tool.  And with the availability of so many tools operating on multiple mobile operating systems it has become easier for to monitor and analyze website data for their websites anywhere any time day or night on the road or at home.  The changing face of the mobile is empowering online marketing professionals to work no matter where they are.

PPC vs. SEO The Bigger Picture

Upon reading today’s White Board Friday on SEOmoz.com I had to respond with my own opinion on this sibling rivalry between these two forms of Search Marketing.  PPC and SEO should not be seen as such separate channels for search marketing programs but as symbiotic entities that need and feed each other in order to create and maintain a well optimized search marketing program.

Danny states “The downside to PPC is that it cost a lot of money as compared to traditional SEO.”  This is a total misnomer.   In my experience SEO costs can be far higher than that of PPC.  Yes PPC takes a outlay of cash to pay for clicks but SEO takes TIME.   

He goes on to say, “With SEO it has a slower start-up. So, in fact, SEO can take a long time to start working. But it is essentially free.” SEO takes time and a large amount of sweat equity thatis used to create, maintain and implement SEO strategies over the long term.  That time costs money too and can be a huge chunk when added up over time.  That isn’t even thinking about development costs that can be incurred or third party agency or consultants that one might utilize for recommendations. 

SEO can actually benefit from PPC testing, analytics, and reporting.  By testing different landing pages for keyword conversion in PPC you can optimize that same page for SEO purposes.  And yes utilizing SEO best practices for content will improve the quality score of keywords used for PPC therefore aiding in PPC placement and conversions. 

So yes I agree share the research and work together to build a better branded, optimized and converting search marketing program.   By utilizing both channels you can compliment each other’s programs and reach more traffic. 

PPCers are NOT big dum-dum heads…they are the pioneers who push the limits and build a brand in a way that SEO can’t.

Is Google Instant the End of SEO?

It seems each time Google comes out with a new improvement to searching the news and bloggers start writing about how it is the death of SEO; for instance  according to Steve Rubel, Google Instantmeans the end of SEO.

Meanwhile in reality with each improvement to Google’s search system SEO becomes even MORE important!  Google Instant is no different.  It benefits searchers by bringing up relevant sites for a term before the user finishes typing.  This to me just speaks ‘Challenge’ and I love it.  A challenge to make sure that when the first few letters of a keyword or parts of a key term are written that my site will come up in those results.

I can see challenges for both SEO and Paid search for Google in the future.  As sites try to improve their SERPs to do better in the new Google Instant world so will Paid Search advertising costs go up as site owners scramble to utilize Google Adwords for better placement during SEO development.  This will drive up costs and well Google will become the winner.

Sleazy Marketers using Google Sponsored Ads

This is this kind of thing that gives search marketing a bad name – Sleazy Marketers Game Google’s Sponsored Ads – http://ht.ly/2ioxl and turns my stomach.

But this isn’t this really a Google Adwords issue? There are editorial guidelines in place to keep things like this from happening so why weren’t they being enforced? If the guidelines were being enforced as rigorously as they were in the past these ads never would have made it ‘Live’ on the search listings.

When an ad is built in the Google Adwords system there is a short period of time where the editorial process takes place to make sure the ad meets the standards. This used to take a hours or even a full day, now it takes minutes and the ads aren’t always as scrupulously watched as they were when it was actual humans looking at the ads every day.

Back years ago you couldn’t use a brand key term anywhere in your keywords or Ads unless it was your actual brand. But that standard was removed to make it more ‘competitive’ but it looks like unscrupulous and unethical companies are seeing how they can exploit this now. Is it time for Google Adwords to bring back their more stringent editorial guidelines and start enforcing them again?

To protect not only the Google users but also the Google Brand. So many see Google as a ‘trusted’ source and when things like this pop up it takes away that trust. Maybe the staff at Google needs to read “Trust Agents”….psst Chris can you spare some copies for them??

Landing Page Bloopers and Best Practices

I’ve harped on the issue in the past, PPC ads that go to landing pages that make no sense or are horrible for the user.  Ion Interactive had a webinar today entitled “Landing Page Bloopers and Best Practices” which illustrated this point very well.  The number of these mis-matched PPC ad to the landing page is even more prevalent then I thought.  It seems to cross all kinds of companies from baby clothes retailers to marketing software companies large and small.

Serious bloopers include:

  • Sending users to an error page
  • Sending users to the home page
  • Sending users to a page that has nothing to do with the product or service in the Ad.
  • Ad info not matching the landing page information
  • No calls to action
  • Making users ‘search’ or click too many times to get to the item or service in the Ad.
  • Ad text mentions a promotion that does not appear on the landing page.
  • Information overload – Too much information without a call to action.

PPC Advertising Needs to keep the User In mind

I’m seeing a very disturbing trend among retailers when it comes to their PPC advertising.   Retailers seem to be dropping the ball on user experience for their PPC landing pages. I’m finding more and more that major retailers are missing out on the basics of PPC advertising best practices by sending users who are searching on specific product related keywords to their home page instead of to that specific product.  My bet is that the CTR is high but the bounce rates are also high.  Searchers will click on PPC ads in the hopes of going directly to what they want and when they get there and find they are going to have to search through a retailer’s web site to find it, they will back right back out and go to the next ad.  These retailers are Wasting precious money and losing potential sales for lack of a proper landing page.

In the example below I found that the top 3 ads on this page were not going to relevant pages at all.  The top page goes to Lift tables, but they are not coffee tables, this is a case of broad terms gone bad, this ad most likely gets a high click thru rate and an even higher bounce rate when users find it isn’t what they are looking for.  The 2nd ad goes to JC Penney’s Home Page, not at all helpful to someone who is searching on such a specific term.  If this bid is on the broad term ‘coffee table’ it should at least take the user to the coffee table page, this will cause high bounce rates for those users who don’t have the patience to go drill down through the JC Penney site to search yet again for what they want.  Meanwhile the 3rd ad by Rotmans at least takes the user to ‘coffee tables’ but those who are looking for specific type like this keyword is it might be best for them to bid on that term and do exact match as well in order to mitigate the possibility of loosing people on this page.  All three of these ads landing pages are disassociated from the exact term they are driving traffic to.  They are all getting high CTR but also high bounce rates and lower conversion rates as a result.  This is also skewing their cost per conversion high.

Google Ads page
Google Ads

Meanwhile, the 4th, 5th, and 6th slots to the right are perfect examples of a good PPC landing page experience.  These ads take the user to an exact matching product that matches clearly with the keyword.  They have pictures featured which also tells the user immediately that this is the product they are looking for.  These ads will be paying a slightly lower CPC and have high CTR and most likely lower bounce rates and a resulting higher conversion rate and their cost per conversion will also be lower.

It is easier for some PPC advertisers to just send their ads to a single url, their Home Page or to a general page thinking the user will find what they want, but it isn’t true.  You want to have focused PPC ads that go to a relevant and focused web page that will result in conversions.  Paying out on wasted clicks like this will take away from your ROI and keep conversion rates low.  Focus the ads and they landing page and you will see a big improvement in the cost per conversion.

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