Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Evaluation Criteria for Integrated Search (SEO & PPC)

topseos.com evaluates and ranks the best integrated search companies in the industry. An integrated search vendor is essentially a one-stop shop for internet marketing services. As the independent authority on search vendors, we complete an in-depth analysis of every vendor on the list by looking into their processes. Often times we also contact clients to obtain more information about the vendor. The companies that are recognized by topseos as the best integrated search companies have excelled in needs analysis, keyword selection, coordination, cost per acquisition minimization, and reporting.

We first evaluate the needs analysis of the client by the vendor. What information is obtained in order to better understand the needs of the client? What analysis processes are in place to identify the competitive edges that can be obtained by a client through an internet marketing avenue?

Once this information has been evaluated, we then assess the keyword selection completed by the vendor. What keywords were selected for which types of campaigns and how competitive were the keywords.

A key aspect of evaluation for an integrated search company is the overall integration of the internet marketing campaign. How effective is a vendor's ability to combine the use of different internet marketing strategies to make a more effective campaign?

The fourth criteria that is reviewed is the cost per acquisition minimization by a vendor. Are the integrated search campaigns, created by a vendor, efficient? Do the combined efforts of the campaign help to produce higher quality results and reduce the marketing costs?

Lastly, an important area identified by topseos in the integrated search process is reporting. What reports are provided to clients to identify the effectiveness of the integrated search campaign? How does the company use the reports to produce the next steps for the clients to take?

A few questions that we may ask clients of an integrated search firm to gauge their level of expertise are:

General Queries:

What type of needs analysis was conducted before work initiated?
What type of a ROI were you anticipating, what was achieved and in what time frame?
What would be 3 things you would change about your experience?
What was your total investment?
Rate your overall experience (1-10; 10 being the highest).
Project Specific Queries:

What analysis processes are in place to identify the competitive edges that can be obtained by a client through an internet marketing avenue?
What is the level of competitiveness of the keywords ranked?
How effectively can the vendor combine the use of different internet marketing strategies to make a more effective campaign?
Did the combined efforts of the campaign help to produce higher quality results and reduce the marketing costs?
How effectively do the reports communicate the progress of the campaign?

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