MediaPost’s Search and Performance Insider Summit in Charleston was a success, featuring speakers from industry-leading brands and agencies as they discussed opportunities for growth, innovation, and diversification in the Search space. Amongst these leaders was Direct Agents’ Director of Paid Search, Andrea Duffy-Cabana, who discussed the importance of reevaluating your strategy in a fast-paced environment on the Evolving The Omnichannel Playbook Panel. After attending various, dynamic sessions throughout the conference, we’re excited to share Andrea’s top five takeaways:

 

Collaboration with AI 

No one has all the answers to where the AI revolution is going, but brands and agencies that are using and understanding its capabilities now are in the best position to pivot as it evolves. Those that are able to guide the AI with a human touch and see it as a collaborator of marketing will go the furthest. 

 

Search Is Expanding 

Search is not just Google anymore, search lives in every social media platform. Users are using the search function in platforms like Reddit, YouTube, and TikTok to find reviews and products. Brands need to be optimizing toward today’s social media search engines. 

 

Structure Search with Awareness vs. Consideration 

Traditional paid search is still a very important channel to run. It continues to convert at a higher rate than higher funnel initiatives, but it may be time to rethink how campaigns, especially non-brand, are structured to drive performance. Non-brand is rarely thought of as an awareness play, but this may be a mistake. Segmenting non-brand by awareness, consideration, and conversion could help to lift overall performance.  

 

Diversity of Media Spend Is Crucial

Now more than ever having a diversified media spend is important to expand your reach, reduce dependency on a single channel, enhance targeting and increase visibility. Just because a channel is not driving conversions (or in some cases even clicks) does not mean it is not impactful. It is important to test the link between search and social measurement.

 

SEO Needs to Be Incorporated Into Every Aspect of Marketing 

When there is a longer customer journey for high-ticket items the on-site content is critically important. It keeps the user engaged and helps them to fully understand the product they are considering purchasing. Brands should continue to invest in SEO with content. 

 

For additional information or to get in touch with the Direct Agents team, please contact [email protected].

 

Andrea Duffy-Cabana, Director of Paid Search, Direct Agents

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