30-second summary:
- Agencies are particularly struggling to find ways to gain a broad view of the search market.
- Many agencies rely too heavily on Google tools which on provide top-level search insights and need better tools.
- COVID-19 is resulting in surprising search results and agencies are having trouble explaining these outcomes without proper data.
Search advertising is one of the most dynamic and rapidly evolving areas of the advertising ecosystem today. And as search continues to emerge[1] as the barometer by which all other advertising activities are gauged, the need for sophisticated search intelligence has never been higher.
Yet, agencies, in particular, are continuing to have difficulties deriving the search intelligence they need and finding ways to unlock the potential of the insights that they already have on hand. Moreover, as agencies continue to invest in more data-generating tools, they are having to sift through more data than ever, and are struggling to keep up.
With that in mind, below are some key items agencies should keep in mind when it comes to their search intelligence infrastructure and how they can get the best out of it.
Agencies only have a fragmented search view
The search landscape is vast and continues to reshape itself on a daily basis. Therefore, having the most comprehensive view of the search landscape and all its nuances is imperative to driving success and making the most informed decisions possible. And data is the key component in building this holistic view.
Incomplete and inaccurate data can not only depress campaign effectiveness but can also have detrimental impacts on an advertiser’s standing versus competitors. For example, without high-quality data insights, it becomes impossible for advertisers to detect when competitors start to encroach on their brand terms — among other things. However, with the proper data tools in place, agencies can build better strategies for clients so that they can achieve maximum ROI and protect their market position.
Google tools don’t allow for proper performance analysis
While Google does provide a top-level view of search performance it does not nearly do