Ok, so I was in Geneva this month visiting my client and we got into a very interesting conversation - How to integrate Email with SEO and PPC marketing? The conversation started as we were discussing about integrated marketing and tighter control of similar messaging across marketing channels. It is ubiquitous knowledge that search and email are the most commonly used interactive channels. But can they be truly integrated? Do we have any examples of companies doing this successfully? Most importantly, is this simple, low risk??
Firstly, ask yourself this question - why integrate Email and Search? To me, there are many reasons for this -
(a) You will have synchronized messaging across channels which creates a consistent cross-channel experience
(b) Most marketers already use both channels so why not use them in tandem
(c) Email and Search are likely managed by close colleagues. This allows for easy co-planning.
So how do we integrate Email with SEO and PPC?
Your PPC campaigns should drive email registrations. Drive paid-search clicks to landing pages that capture email addresses and contact information. Having specific landing pages linked to different keyword categories will give you rich information about how and why a customer is visiting your Web site. For example, Coca-Cola turns a branded search query into an action that drives registrations for its My Coke Rewards loyalty program. (See Figure below)
Use PPC data to inform email strategies. Search data contains valuable information about customer intent that you can use to help target email content. You can customise your follow up emails based on the keyword ad that drives in a lead.
Use Email content to improve your website SEO. Marketers can repurpose email newsletters into regularly updated, keyword-rich site content, which search engines love. Boost your natural results by posting past issues of email newsletter to your site.
Test your offer value and copy on both Email and PPC. Seeing what message content, creative, or offers perform best in search can inform email executions and vice versa. Use customer search data to understand which ads appeal to different personas. Then customizes email communication streams based on that information.
Coordinate your campaign's message on both channels. Timing keyword buys with email messaging will promote email content and reinforce brand messages in multiple media. Crate and Barrel coordinates seasonal email promotion copy with its keyword investment. (See Figure below)
Integrated marketing has long been a goal of marketers. But it’s a good idea that rarely happens. I strongly believe you should start small to coordinate efforts. Starting small will requires simple changes to current programs with little incremental cost and can set interactive marketers up for broader integration.
