The 5HITS

Mixing up SEO and SEM. Logically these 2 should fit snugly together, practically the skills couldn’t be further apart. SEO is more business focused, strategic, innovative and technical. SEM or paid search requires focus where cost per conversion or acquisition is being targeted and is somewhat process driven with some creativity required for the ads. We have found staff fit into, and do well in 1 of these areas, seldomly do they excel at both.

Having established that, where do they converge and where is it important to have touch points:

• Keyword research and the use and identification of keywords in general is the obvious starting point, confirming focus, search volumes and usage between the 2 areas
• Campaigns, ensuring both teams understand what current and future campaigns are on the go and which are better served by SEO, medium term and SEM, short term etc.
• Links to the offline marketing team, to understand offline activities, branding efforts etc.
• Reporting, ensuring both the SEO and SEM teams work in tandem and are not dysfunctional

SEM Teams

Finding SEM staff is a little easier, finding SEM staff who have managed a provider/ agency relationship and who have managed large campaigns is a little more difficult. SEM is also also becoming increasingly competitive and software centric (Bid management software) so finding SEM staff with the above skills and with relevant bid management software experience can be even more difficult. Training outside of practical experience in a good SEM provider is hard to find.

Some considerations for the SEM Team

• Consider centralising SEM management, keeping expertise and liason with external providers through a single point of contact
• Find a strong SEM partner with good bid management technology who understands your industry and can give you a competitive advantage
• Work out how the processes between you and your provider will work from reporting through to keyword updates, budgets etc.
• Focus on cost per conversion and what that conversion is defined as. Running SEM campaigns to drive traffic, unless you are monetising your content really is a waste of time in my mind. Campaigns should be focussed, and there to drive some form of conversion. Make sure you set targets and spend upfront
• Link members of the team to on the ground local marketing folk, for keyword and campaign input
• Ensure you have some policies or ground rules to stop dysfunctional paid search behavious, where different divisions bid against each other for the same keywords or different brands belonging to the same company try and outbid each other. Work out who fits where, who has stronger market share by state for example and develop ground rules or policies to support this.
• Ensure you are constantly testing to improve, from ad creatives to keyword combinations.

My next post will cover structuring Analytics in the same team. Please share your experiences on building an in-house SEO team. Spammers need not apply. All comments are moderated.