The Vice Presidents Of Search Marketing

1
The Vice Presidents Of Search Marketing

• Abhilash Patel
• V.P. Search Marketing
• Passages Malibu

2
Intro

• Sweet Topic!
• Who is this guy (me)?
• Entrepreneurial / Mgmt. Consulting Background
• Strong Organic Focus
• Agency History with many, many clients.
• Moved In-House last year ?
• Questions for the crowd
• How many Have a VP Search? Vendors?
• Companies with gt100 employees? lt100?

PassagesMalibu.com
3
Roadmap Since when does SEM/SEO get a VP?

• Who even needs a VP Search?
• What duties would this VP cover?
• How big should a company be that deserves a VP?
  (Annual rev. over 10M, 20M...?
• The Passages Case Study

PassagesMalibu.com
4
Who Needs a VP for Search?

• As Relative CPA valuations studies become
  more widely read, more companies take notice.
• Anyone with significant offline media budgets
• Which is more important Sales or Leads? Drive
  for growth will inevitably lead to a VP-SM.
• If you separate Sales/Marketing, its time for a
  VP Search.
• Quantify the market for growth/revenues Who
  doesnt need a VP for Search Marketing?!?

PassagesMalibu.com
5
How big should a company be that deserves a VP?

• How big is the SEM budget? Are you prepared to
  go after 70-80 of search traffic?
• The Future of Corporate SEM/SEO
• Threshold between small biz/corporate SEO?
• Obstacles/Opportunities how big should your
  operation be at all? If profit maximization
  dictates a smaller operation, then perhaps its
  not the best idea.
• 
  (Unofficially)

PassagesMalibu.com
6
What does the VP do?

• (besides shoot his friends)
• Progress on a daily basis Constant Execution.
• Harmony with Web-Technical Teams,
  Sales/Marketing/Branding
• Independent growth stats/revenue channel s
• Accountability for significant traffic levels.
• For E-commerce, maintain affiliate relations.
• Providing invaluable consumer data back to other
  arms of the company for employment.

PassagesMalibu.com
7
Who Manages Your Search Marketing?

• ( Components of the Passages In-house Model)
• 1. Traffic Analytics Daily Success Measurement
• 2. Website(s) Usability Design (viz. SEO?)
• 3. SEM
• i. Google/Yahoo/MSN
• ii. Additional Tiers Adbrite, 2nd Tier PPC
• iii. Paid Inclusions and site-specific
  advertising
• 4. Click Fraud Research/Claims??

PassagesMalibu.com
8
Who Manages Your Search Marketing? (cont)

• 5. Organic SEO
• Content Production Management (I run several
  teams)
• Site Popularity / Marketing (traffic from
  relevant sites)
• Serious Link Building (tough to outsource)
• Daily Reputation Management
• 6. Affiliate Management
• Vendor Communication is key
• External Program Management?
• 7. Business Development / Distribution Channels
• Web authorities can be sig. different than
  offline partners
• Leverage partnerships acquisitions to increase
  traffic
• 8. Viral Marketing Community Building

PassagesMalibu.com
9
The Argument For In-House SEM/SEO Vendor
Outsourcing

• NOT Mutually Exclusive in fact, outsourcing
  becomes more efficient well-managed.
• Nonetheless, many efforts cannot be outsourced.
  (some Link development, Content generation, etc.)
• How many times have you made the wrong decision
  on a search industry vendor?
• Scalability Bring outsourced projects in-house
  on a schedule one-at-a-time.

PassagesMalibu.com
10
The Passages Case Study ROI After Investments
in Search

• One In-house model/construct
• Obstacles Opportunities
• Results (so far)
• The Road Ahead

PassagesMalibu.com
11
Case Study The Passages Story

• Exclusive Substance Abuse Treatment Center in
  Melibu, CA
• Competitive Space, 95 of business comes from
  Search.
• No defined conversions phone-driven
  admissions/sales process
• Burned several times by SEO vendors, hemorrhaging
  SEM budget (gt25/click).
• Click Fraud was terrifying indefinable
  (six-figures/year).

PassagesMalibu.com
12
Post-VP Status

• Detailed analytics on multiple platforms.
  Significant click fraud claims filed.
• Successful redesign rewriting of website
• Successful problem solving via relationships.
• Multiple vendors closely managed
• Revenues increased (354)
• Online success ? Offline publicity (Mtv, E!,
  Details, etc.)
• Longer waiting list than ever.

PassagesMalibu.com
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The Upshot

• What made the difference?
• 2 needs for a successful in-house operation
• Authority to Execute Decisions.
• Defined Supportive budget to manufacture
  success.
• There is HUGE value in pressing ahead with the
  opportunities in search taking risks towards
  that end Move it!

PassagesMalibu.com
14
THANK YOU!

• Abhilash Patel
• V.P. Search Marketing
• PassagesMalibu.com
• e abhilash_at_passagesmalibu.com
• o [phone]

PassagesMalibu.com