Online marketing and investment in search is becoming more relevant as Google changes the way it ranks results, says pay-per-click company Clicks2Customers.
Clicks2Customers director of business development Jonathan Gluckman says online searches form an important part of an integrated marketing plan. He says companies will advertise in mainstream media and neglect having an online presence, which is where most people look for contact details first.
But, adds Gluckman, the local industry lacks an online presence, which is important because traditional media creates a need, and people's first response is to go online and search for more information.
In July, there were 22 billion online searches in the US alone. In SA, up to 37% of searches are generated from what people see on television, explains Gluckman. A further 36% of searches are generated through word-of-mouth and 30% through print advertisements. “The primary source of those with access to the Web is to go online and search.”
Clicks2Customers provides performance-based search marketing solutions. The company has offices in London, San Diego, Sydney and Cape Town. “Media has become fragmented, and search has become the glue,” says Gluckman.
Revenue-driven
The search engine's interface has changed, and search results now bring up movie trailers and map locations, which are paid-for results. This will change the way people search, as 72% of people assume the top three searches are there because of their relevancy, says Gluckman.
Google is also trying to build the search phenomenon in markets such as SA, as companies can no longer trademark their brands through the search engine, he explains.
In the middle of this year, Google blocked that aspect in 183 developing countries, so companies now need to bid for their brands. This opens the door for other organisations to piggyback off these companies' trademarks, Gluckman notes.
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