Is your SEM vendor acting in your best interest?

[umer.autojini]

Geo targeted adwords also get triggered if you type in a locality in search... I think they call it query parsing... it likely has some wrong data... putting Newburgh, NY in CA.

 

[Gerald]

PPC is and will be an important part of my advertising budget for the forseeable future, and it is integral to the success of a website if properly used and administered. One not I have seen made yet is the management fee. One company I was using over a year ago would charge upwards of $500-600 on a $1200-1500 campaign. We would get results, but for that kind of money, I would do it!

I came across a new company in the arena, and have been using them since. Not because of just a low management fee ($150-200 on the same budget), but also because of the reporting tools they provide. The last company simply gave me a spreadsheet with keywords and rates, and showed me how quickly the budget ran out. Now, I can see when PPCs are used, which ones are most common, a mirror website with who's calling, etc.

Just like anything else, these dealers should get more than one perspective or quote when they are looking into SEM/SEO.

 

[Dan Mercurio (blog)]

There is no doubt that you need to watch out for the SEO/SEM companies that are more motivated by immediate income than immediate results. I think everyone will agree that if you receive positive, quantifiable results from any of your vendors, that the money you pay for their services becomes less of an issue.

I understand vendor issues as well as the next guy. I also have a unique take that many don't. I have been in the automotive industry for 22 years as a sales consultant, F&I Manager, Used Car Manager, New Car Manager, and General Sales Manager. I haven't seen it all, but I've seen quite a bit. The uniqueness comes into play in regards to SEO/SEM due to the fact that I am President of one such company, Elite Search Engine Marketing.

I am currently functioning in both roles. One as a General Sales Manager of the 12th ranked Mazda dealership in the nation, Kings Mazda, and also President of my SEO/SEM firm.

Being in the car business, I understand that it is all about results. I fight the negative perception everyday as a vendor. Much like the car business, where there are many dealers looking just to make the sale and not caring about a long term relationship, the same holds true in the SEO/SEM industry. We know that many of these companies will go by the wayside on an almost daily basis, but the damage they cause along the way is sometime irreversible.

My suggestion is to dig deeply into the SEO/SEM companies strategies. Have them spell everything out in writing. Get complete specifics in regards to their methods and philosophies. If you begin to get any type of push back to your questions, you then have your answer, they would not be the vendor to partner with.

If anyone would like additional advice, whether your looking for a new vendor or just want suggestions for your current one, I welcome your questions and feedback.

Remember, do your best possible investigative work up front. Firing a vendor isn't an enjoyable experience and it's also a negative reflection on you, if you were instrumental in making the hiring decision.

Dan