Search marketing seems to be on the tips of many marketers’ tongues, especially as the economy continues to struggle, but a new survey finds many marketers are struggling to properly implement search campaigns.
According to the Omniture Search Engine Marketing Readiness Survey, marketers are not using the proper metrics to analyze their search engine marketing strategies.
Matt Belkin, general manager of SearchCenter for Omniture, says in order to get proper ROI, marketers need to use tools that give them a better idea of what is and isn’t working for them.
"It is critical that today’s online marketers have the tools they need to accurately measure sophisticated metrics to ensure they are seeing maximum return on search spend," he said. "Marketers can benefit from advanced solutions that address these challenges by making it easier to find deeper, more impactful metrics that make a significant difference in business decisions and drive increased profits."
The report also found that marketers are having difficulty finding the time to devote to their online campaigns with 67 percent saying they cannot properly manage their search engine marketing efforts because of it.
It also appears that the majority of marketers are using cost per click or click through rates to measure the campaigns rather than return on ad spend and cost per customer.
According to an outlook from eMarketer earlier this month, online marketing spending is expected to reach $24.5 billion this year and rise to $37.2 billion by 2013.
