I recently blogged about owning the discussion and cited the recent tainted tomato scare as an example of a timely story in the news ideal for certain marketers to piggy back as a way to monitor their reputation around some sort of public frenzy. I discussed the power offered by paid search (Google AdWords, for example) in particular as a way to direct connect with consumers and others concerned about the scare. Only certain tomatoes were affected, and many suppliers and retailers needed to communicate their status regarding the issue.
Today, AdGooroo released a new white paper, "How Keyword Length and ad Position Impact CTR and CPC on Google AdWords." The complimentary white paper is packed with 11 pages of actionable insights for search marketers, but a couple of things really jumped out at me:
Most marketers should never bid for the top position in Google AdWords, particularly for broad keywords like "health scare," specific to the tomato example.
Niche keywords and low ranking positions are desirable. The additional bang acquired by bidding keywords up to top spots does not justify the extra spend.
So next time use AdWords to get a seat at the table for important consumer discussions or to manage your brand in a dicey time.. Who knows; you might get 90 percent of the eyeballs for 10 percent of the budget.