Search is the mouthpiece of digital communication. By understanding search behaviour we can develop a unique insight into user intent and information needs. This insight can not only inform search marketing strategies but communications planning more broadly. By understanding what consumers want, marketers can supply this demand and convert online traffic into customers.
Reform offers a range of search marketing consultancy and delivery services, helping brands to plan more effectively and to achieve the maximum returns from this channel.:
- Findability review / search behavioural research
Before a brand embarks on any digital communications planning or content strategy, it is crucial to understand what the information needs of the audience are, how and where people search for this information, brand or product, who is competing for this share of voice and whether the audience needs are met.
Reform carries out Findability reviews to help brands to plan their content strategies (websites or other digital content assets) in order to satisfy audience needs, and to help marketers to plan their marketing in order to convert search behaviour and demand into sales and customers.
- Search strategic development
A common mistake made by many marketers is to treat Search as a campaign tactic. Search not only shapes user behaviour but it informs marketing strategy. Whether an isolated activity or not, Search requires careful planning.
Many marketers overlook search strategy and jump straight into the delivery. And some marketers prefer to focus their skills and resource on the delivery. Either way, Reform develops search strategy projects for brands who recognise that there is longer-term reward in approaching search on a strategic level.
- Search Engine Optimisation – consultancy and delivery
Search engine optimisation (SEO) is more important than ever as PPC budgets are being squeezed and PPC traffic volume opportunity exhausted. And with greater transparency of ROI in natural search, brands are finally recognising the importance of SEO as a foundation block of digital marketing.
At Reform we provide SEO services that inform and shape digital content and web strategy and design, instead of attempting a reverse engineer job once a website is live (although we can do that too if there is no alternative option). Like search more broadly, SEO has implications that reach way beyond converting search engine queries into traffic; SEO informs web strategy, platform and hosting, content strategy, social media and online PR, to name a few digital activities. Our SEO consultants are experienced in all aspects of digital planning so that their insight can compliment and support holistic digital planning.
- Pay Per Click (PPC) – consultancy and delivery
Pay per click is the most accountable form of digital marketing but it is also one of the most labour intensive. All too often, PPC campaigns perform sub-optimally due to the lack of attention to the account build or inactive management.
For many online retailers, travel or finance brands, PPC makes a significant difference to sales growth, and this has led to many clients taking PPC management in-house (and in some cases SEO too). While being closer to the business and product is a benefit, this approach can lead to PPC skills becoming tired more quickly.
Reform’s PPC services include strategic consultancy, skills and process auditing and training – as well as campaign delivery – recognising that clients must increasingly take more responsibility for this critical traffic and sales acquisition channel.
- Social Media Marketing and Optimisation
Social media is not a new concept. Peer-to-peer conversations and community building are core pillars of social interaction. Yet now that these conversations and communities are online, brands are now privileged to be able to listen, to take part and – in some situations – to intervene or host the conversation. There is, however, a trade off, a quid pro quo. This may be content, or advice, or product sampling. Whatever the strategy or tactic, social media marketing must be carefully investigated and planned.
Social Media Optimisation (SMO) is where social media and search meet. Social media optimisation is about creating and enhancing real people – or business – connections in order to add value to a search engine optimisation (SEO) strategy. Conversations, content and connections are now a powerful weapon in a search marketer’s armoury.
- Search marketing due diligence
For agencies and client in-house operations, Reform provides due diligence auditing and consultancy to help these businesses to capitalise on the revenue opportunities that Search marketing presents.
Whether selling a search marketing service, or providing an in-house service to a business, search is a minefield. Nowhere in the marketing services mix is there more of a need to adapt, change and continually improve performance. Stay still, and your sales will drop and your profit margins recede, while the competition – and Google – will leave you scratching your head.
Reform’s team of search consultants will identify opportunities for improvement – whether ‘small steps’ campaign management tactics to ‘giant leaps’ operational process or platform change. Reform will also act as a backfill for under-resourced marketing teams, and can also offer short-term secondment in order to restore outdated skills, processes and tactics to market leading success.
Reform’s core background and expertise is in search. As search marketers we are focused on continual improvement and on finding logical solutions to user needs. But our proactive and logical approach spans beyond search into all aspects of our digital services offering. This is why we can convert digital change into business growth for our clients.
If you would like to have a chat about our search marketing services, please contact us.