Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Competitor Keyword Conquesting

Few things are sweeter than having someone begin a search for one of your competitor's products or services and end up buying one of yours.

In the United States, when executing a SEM campaign it's possible to bid on the trademarked terms of your competitors. The practice is often called "conquesting." Although it's a common practice, the question often comes up whether it's legal.

This question has been tested in the courts. Recently Rosetta Stone sued Google saying that Google was "unjustly profiting from its unauthorized sale of trademarks as keywords to its paid search advertisers." Their lawsuit was dismissed.

Google's position is, "Users searching on Google benefit from being able to choose from a variety of competing advertisers, and we've found no evidence that legitimate use of trademarks as keyword triggers or in the text of advertisements confuses consumers."

So for now, the practice of purchasing trademarks as keywords is allowed by Google and other major search engines. This may change, so for up to date information on Google's AdWords policies, make sure to check out their editorial guidelines.

In the meantime, enjoy the competition!

Microsite vs. Primary Web Site vs. E-Commerce Site

When people refer to a "web site" they often mean different things. I thought it might be helpful to clarify some terms.

Microsite: This term is usually used to describe web sites made up of a small group of pages created for a specific purpose. They are often built to support ad campaigns, launch new products or have some other specific, limited purpose. There are some advantages to creating a microsite instead of adding new pages to an existing web site. One advantage is the reduced cost of search engine marketing. Because a microsite can carry content solely related to its purpose, ads are given better quality scores and clicks can be purchased at lower cost. Another advantage is flexibility in user requirements. Because of the limited purpose of these sites, they are great places to utilize animation, video and interactivity such as gaming. Your users will not be returning to this site on a regular basis like they would a primary web site or e-commerce site so more interactivity and richer content can really work well here to support your brand.

Primary web site: This term usually refers to a company's main web site. It is a place to store corporate information such as management team bios, career opportunities and maps to offices. If the company is public, this would be the place to show stock price, press releases and SEC filings. Sometimes a primary web site can house product or service information. This is especially true with B2B companies or companies that don't wish to draw a distinction between the company brand and individual product/service brands.

E-Commerce web site: This term refers to a web site whose sole purpose is to sell products or services. There are well-known best practices to optimize these sites to increase conversions and following these best-practices can substantially increase sales.

Those are just three of the most commonly used terms. Other terms such as blog, wiki and even Facebook page can be interchanged with the term web site, but the ones mentioned above seem to be the most common.

Digital Marketing in Healthcare #1: Increasing Utilization of Capital Purchases

This post is part of a series on digital marketing tactics within healthcare.

Digital Marketing in Healthcare #1: Increasing Utilization of Capital Purchases

It's not enough to make a capital purchase. Ensuring that a big purchase is actually used to generate income or reduce costs is just as important.

In addition, communicating to your community that you have a new technology helps improve your overall positioning as a technology leader.

Some of the digital tactics that can have a measurable impact on utilization are:

1. Showcasing technology with 360 degree videos, patient and doctor testimonials and other compelling content.

2. Using geo-coded search engine marketing for promotion. Patients and doctors are searching online for your technology. Help them find you. And use geo-coding to target relevant ZIP codes.

3. Using digital tactics to target patients, caregivers and doctors. Each of these are a key part of the care giving process and each has unique needs. Create specific content and tactics targeting these audiences.

4. Participating in online discussions and communities relevant to your new capital purchase. Many online communities encourage their members to use the latest technology available. Engage them and them know you have also embraced the newest treatment options.