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NONE: Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Search engines are dying
Re: ONLINE-ADS>> Search engines are dying
David Prager (dsprager_at_mailbox.syr.edu)
Wed, 12 Nov 1997 02:40:43 -0500 (EST)
A few posts ago, Richard Hoy wrote:
>
> I base this newfound philosophy on a couple of things. First, I've noticed
> on the sites we manage that the percent of traffic from search engines
> drops as the investment in other types promotion increase.
Hi. Long time lurker, first time poster. Yay, me.
I don't think you've come to the correct conclusion following the
analysis of your data. You said that the sites which you did not promote
too heavily got that majority of their traffic from the search engines,
while the sites you promoted got the majority of their traffic (94%) from
the promotions themselves. Thus, you concluded, the search engine is no
longer a viable means of finding information on the net.
I don't think your data can be interpreted as a reflection
on the value of the search engine. Rather, I submit that this is simply a
reflection of the effectiveness of your particular methods of Internet
promotion.
As an example, lets talk about your Y2K site. Previous to your
promotional campaign, the only way people could find out about your site
was through the search engines, so it makes sense that most of the traffic
on your site came via the search engines. However, once you started your
promotional campaign, you spread your site across the net in magazine
articles, banner ads, site sponsorships, and whatever. So naturally, a
lesser percentage of your traffic came from search engines, and a greater
percentage started coming from your promotions.
So, previous to your promotions, when people searched for the Y2K
problem, they got a lot of choices, only a few of which lead to your site.
However, the more you promote, the more pages will link to your site,
which means you will be getting less traffic directly from the search
engines, and more traffic via other pages with Y2K-related content.
However, how are most people likely to find out about these other
Y2K-related sites? Probably through the search engines, so if the search
engines lead the reader to a site that features one of your promotions,
the search engine has still given you traffic, albeit in a more indirect
fashion.
The point is, if you have data showing that most of your traffic
comes from promotions, that does not mean the search engine is no longer a
necessary technology. Rather, that just shows the effectiveness of your
promotional campaign in driving traffic.
People will always need a way to find information related to a
specific subject on the web, so the search engine will always be around
and always be significant. However, your promotions should be used to
ensure that your site can be accessed from other sites. The more sites
you can be accessed from, the better the chances are that a web search can
lead a reader to your site, either directly or indirectly.
_________________________________________________________________________
Dave Prager General Manager
Junior Advertising Major Orange Source
Syracuse University http://source.syr.edu
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