iProspect Search Engine Marketing Integration Study

®The Original S earch Engine Marketing Firm








iProspect Search Engine Marketing Integration Study August 2008






© Copyright 2008 iProspect.com, Inc. | All Rights Reserved. | 800.522.1152 | interest@iprospect.com | www.iprospect.com


Table of Contents
Objective & Background 3
Study Methodology 4
Executive Summary 4
Survey Questions, Results & Analysis 6
About iProspect's Research 21
Appendix 22

©Copyright 2008 iProspect.com, Inc. | All Rights Reserved. | 800.522.1152 | interest@iprospect.com | www.iprospect.com 2


Objective & Background
In April 2008 iProspect partnered with JupiterResearch to develop and field a survey about practices employed by search engine marketers. The initiative had three objectives: to uncover the extent to which search marketing efforts are integrated with a variety of offline marketing channels; to reveal the specific search marketing and integration techniques in use; and to identify obstacles to the integration process.
Based upon the findings of earlier iProspect research, the Offline Channel Influence on Online Search Behavior Study, iProspect felt the topic of integration warranted further exploration. Published in August 2007, the study found that 67% of search engine users had been motivated to perform a search on a search engine in the previous six months as a direct result of exposure to some form of offline marketing. The study also revealed that of that 67%, a full 39% ultimately purchased a product or service from the company that had prompted their original search.
These findings lead iProspect to wonder about the extent to which search marketers were aware of the relationship between other marketing channels and their own, as well as the extent to which they were proactively utilizing other channels to help drive the success of their search marketing efforts.
iProspect's curiosity was further heightened with the publication of the April 2008 Blended Search Results Study. This research found that search engine users were clicking in much greater numbers on "non-traditional" digital assets (such as images, videos, news items, etc.) that have begun appearing "blended" into the natural search results of the major search engines than users did when performing digital-asset-specific searches within the "invisible tabs" of the major search engines. These findings called into question whether search engine marketers were aware of this behavior on the part of search engine users, as well as the extent to which they were utilizing and optimizing these non-traditional digital assets in their organic search engine optimization campaigns as a result. Note: Throughout this document, the results and conclusions from the Offline Channel Influence on Online Search Behavior Study, and the Blended Search Results Study will be referenced to contrast and compare the behavior of search engine users to the practices of search engine marketers. A summary of the respective methodologies and each list of questions from those studies can be found in the Appendix of this study.
©Copyright 2008 iProspect.com, Inc. | All Rights Reserved. | 800.522.1152 | interest@iprospect.com | www.iprospect.com 3

Study Methodology
In April and June 2008, JupiterResearch conducted a formal survey of search marketers and agencies. Respondents were targeted by familiarity with their company's search marketing efforts and screened for involvement with marketing their own company's products or those of clients. A total of 289 qualified search marketers completed the survey. Respondents received an email invitation to participate in the survey, with an attached URL linked to the Web-based survey form. As an incentive, respondents were entered into a sweepstakes to win one of three iPod Shuffles. In this survey effort, JupiterResearch worked with Incisive Media's ClickZ network on the technical tasks of sample building and survey fielding. Incisive Media is a fast growing... [download for more]