Paid Search Predicted to Surge – But will browsers become buyers?

I’m amazed at the amount of money spent on paid search engine listings. Of course this form of marketing makes total sense: It is one of the only ways a marketer can reach an audience at the precise time that they are looking for what you have to offer.

Last week Merrill Lynch analyst Lauren Rich Fine said in a report that the amount spent on sponsored search listings will increase 47 percent this year--to around $5.1 billion. Much of those dollars will go to Yahoo and Google and the share prices of both companies rose on the report’s positive predictions.

As so many companies are spending on search engine marketing, I’ve noticed that most of the money goes into the media spend and very little into turning those browsers into buyers. Many advertisers just drop visitors who click on an ad onto a home page or non-targeted site, losing the opportunity to open a communications channel with them. Once someone clicks, that person is in your sales funnel and you must communicate with them in an authentic way to drive them to your desired action. Many companies are relying on best practice to turn browsers into buyers. Are you?