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Paying for Search Engine Exposure:
Given that there are literally scores of ways to promote your trucking business free on the Internet, actually paying for an extremely high ranking on a search engine rankles a lot of people. But for companies with promotion funds to spend, paying for guaranteed exposure on the search engines may prove convenient as well as beneficial.
Fortunately, even trucking companies that do not have a mother lode of Web promotion funds still can get into the pay-for-exposure game on one of the Web's most popular search engines, Google (www.google.com). For a $5 activation fee, Google will allow any businesses to bid on the ownership of any keyword or set of keywords under its AdWords program. The highest bidders are guaranteed to be among to top links returned whenever their keywords are typed into a search engine.
"Adwords is a great program for advertisers with limited budgets and for those interested in trying out keyword-based ads before making a larger buy," says Larry Chase, author of "Essential Business Tactics for the Net."
The program is popular among even the smallest of truckers because each client has the ability to place a firm ceiling on the amount of clicks it will pay for on any given day. After a firm's daily promotional budget is exhausted, Google AdWords no longer includes that business among its Sponsored Links.
Similar sponsored links promotional programs also are offered by the other big guns, such as Yahoo (www.yahoo.com), MSNSearch (www.msnsearch.com) and AOLSearch (www.aolsearch.com). Click "sponsored links" in any of those search engines for more information.
"We've picked up a fair amount of work in our golf course division due in part to high search engine returns," says Chris Vanveldhuizen, Web marketing manager of Bud's Trucking, Buena Park, Calif. In a recent check on AOLSearch, Bud's Trucking was the first sponsored link returned with the keyphrase "Nevada trucking."
"We pay a search engine placement firm $50 a month to handle everything for us. It looks like it's working," Vanveldhuizen says.
John Tuberty, sales manager of Intermodal Global, a load brokering service for carriers and shippers, says he has seen similar results: "I'd estimate we bring in $3 for every $1 we spend on the Google AdWords service. We get a lot of one-time, eBayer shippers - people who've sold something big over eBay who don't want to use UPS, FedEx or the U.S. mail."
In a recent check of Google, Tuberty's firm came up first under sponsored links for the keyphrase "Los Angeles Trucking."
"If you're looking to bid on general keywords like 'shipper,' it's going to be relatively expensive," Tuberty says. "But if you bid on keywords with qualifiers - such as 'Indiana shipper,' for example - the cost for such keyphrases is usually much less expensive."
Other trucking companies that have had comparable success with sponsored links programs include Anderson Trucking, which came up first on Google with the keyphrase "Seattle long-haul trucking"; Freight Solutions, first on Yahoo with keyphrase "Oregon trucking"; TruckingCompanies.com, first on MSNSearch with keyphrase "Miami trucking"; American Freight Co., first on MSNSearch with keyphrase "Chicago trucking"; Olinger Heavy Hauling, first on Yahoo with keyphrase "Midwest trucking"; and Interstate Cold Storage Trucking, first on Yahoo with keyphrase "refrigerated trucking."
Once you have had some success with programs such as AdWords, you may get a taste for paid exposure that is a bit more flashy - ads that feature graphics, animation, even audio and video. Generally, such eye candy appears on the right side of search engine returns.
But more often than not, those ads are sold under a "general rotation" agreement, meaning that your ad will be rotated with those of others who have purchased ownership of the same keywords and phrases on a given day.
Not surprisingly, negotiations for ownership of keywords or phrases under a general rotation agreement can be fairly complex. Larry Chase, author of "Essential Business Practices for the Net," recommends that you go in with both eyes open or find someone who already knows the ropes. Among his top suggestions for securing a competitive advantage in negotiations with the search engines:
Make it clear you are shopping around.
"You can tell them that you have a budget, but quote them 20% less than what you really plan on spending, that you're approaching three other search engines with the same budget and you encourage him to offer a plan that will make the best of that budge," Chase says.
Make sure you are buying "initial impressions" only.
Search engines sometimes like to beef up their ad performance ratings by defining an "impression" as any time a user clicks back to a links-return page while working through a list of links on any given subject. Under that metric, a user who clicks back to a search engine's links-return page 10 times while working his or her way through a links list has received 10 impressions on your ad.
Phooey, says Chase.
"If a user happens to click back and see the ad again, that's great. But you cannot prove it, and I do not count that as an initial impression. I tell them my client is paying for initial impressions."
When in Rome, become an agency.
Often, search engines will offer agencies a significant discount, usually around 15%.
"Make sure to ask if they offer an agency discount," Chase says. "If you're not an agency, become one quickly in order to take advantage of this extra margin. Some media outlets will want to see stationery or a bank account specifically dedicated to your agency or media-buying service function. If you are going to be buying media repeatedly, it is worthwhile."
Include the option of changing your ads.
As in any other medium, some of your ads on search engines will work better than others. Chase suggests that you test a number of such ads a few times a week so you can determine over time which are the best performers. Most search engines offer reports for clients that quickly reveal which ads are receiving the most click-throughs.
"The more often those reports come out, the better," Chase says.
Do not wait until the last minute to strike your deal.
As in any other business negotiation, being able to play as many psychological factors as possible generally gives you better position. Chase recommends that you have your approval-to-purchase in hand, but to keep that little gem to yourself.
"At the opportune time, ask the rep if there is a signing bonus if the deal can be closed that very day. The signing bonus may come in the form of extra impressions or an additional discount on the purchase itself."
Do not alienate the search engine rep.
While you want to cut the best arrangement possible, you do not want to leave your search engine rep feeling strong-armed, Chase says.
"Representatives from search engines are very good people to have on your side. If you ever want to buy keywords, they can tell you which ones are most popular in your category. You may find some surprises."
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