Running a search engine marketing campaign is quite complex. Most realize this completely, choosing to farm out the SEM to professional outsourcing companies like WSpider that specialize in the online marketing techniques encompassed by search engine marketing.
But whether or not you’re already running an SEM campaign for your website, the important question still remains—are you seeing the big picture? And more importantly, if you are getting search engine marketing reporting, it is clear enough to understand and interpret?
Are You Getting An SEM Report?
If you’re paying for quality SEM, make no doubt about it…you should be entitled to receiving a full search engine marketing report on a monthly basis so you can determine exactly what’s happening in your campaign. Transparency is important.
Your SEM company should absolutely be tracking website and visitor data on your behalf—keeping complete tabs on who’s visiting your site, where they are coming from, how long they visit your site, and how they interact with your site’s content while they’re visiting. This is the foundation of visitor tracking, and it all definitely plays an important role in determining which search engine marketing techniques are working best for your unique site.
It Your SEM Report Providing You The Info You Need?
So, your SEM company is providing adequate reporting from a data standpoint. The next question to ask yourself here is if the facts and figures included as part of the reporting actually make sense. What is the story that the numbers tell?
Running an organization effectively and efficiently is time consuming enough. The last thing you should have to worry about is if the SEM campaign that’s supposed to be producing true results for your website is performing or not. You should be able to look at your regular search engine marketing report and instantly be able to discern areas that are meeting goals and areas that still need improvement.
In some ways, it’s a lot like reading your monthly or quarterly stock or 401k report—think how clear that is on what investments are doing well. SEM is much the same. It’s an investment you make in your site, for your online marketing visibility, that is supposed to pay grow and pay dividends.
In other words, SEM should not turn in to a costly liability. It should be a solid asset that delivers a sound return on your investment. And the search engine marketing report should prove it.
