Last month, research from Advertiser Perceptions indicated that the anticipated blow to media sales may not be as severe for paid search as it will be for other formats. You may be able to sell more by showing how paid and organic search can improve client results. If you’re selling search services, your client needs your best ideas during the current COVID-​19 crisis. 

Projected Search Spending

Advertiser Perceptions research shows that while only about 25% of advertisers are cutting paid search, another 24% say they will keep spending as usual on this format or perhaps increase spending. eMarketer analysts believe that search spending will fall in H1 2020. In 2019, search spending amounted to over $27 billion for the first half of the year. This year, spending will likely end up somewhere between $23.8 billion and $25.5 billion for the same period. Those figures reflect an 8.7% to a 14.8% drop and they include desktop, laptop and mobile devices.

eMarketer analysts say that “Search is a lower-​funnel ad channel that’s typically geared toward driving conversions — including in-​store — and many of those conversions can’t happen right now because of quarantines, inventory shortfalls and related problems.” There’s plenty of gloom in these numbers. Some of your clients will likely pull back on search spending. Travel industry operators, for example, can’t do much advertising right now. But other businesses can. With so many consumers stuck at home and relying on digital devices for their connection to the larger world, marketers can reach them with good paid search campaigns.

Combine Organic and Paid Search

Advertising and marketing services costs may be a concern now more than ever. Show your clients how to combine organic and paid search campaigns to drive their links higher up on the search engine results page. Help them isolate the keywords that have been most successful in their organic search efforts. Using those same keywords in a paid search campaign can create a symbiosis says Ronald Dod. Likewise, if a client has run a PPC campaign, you’ll know quickly which keywords have worked well. 

You can then help you client sprinkle those keywords into their SEO content like their product pages and blog posts. This strategy yields two benefits. First, potential customers will see the paid listings at the top of the page. With effective keyword use, they’ll also see your clients’ links at the top of the organic listing on the SERP. Dominating the SERP in this way increases the number of clicks, and eventual sales, for your clients.

We’re all operating in a new kind of business climate. According to the Advertising Perceptions survey, your clients are hoping you will:

• Be flexible in terms of budget and campaign timing 64%
• Be proactive in terms of creative solutions during the crisis 40%

To get a glimpse on what your clients are doing with paid search, run a digital audit. You’ll find the tool at AdMall from SalesFuel.