Outsourcing Search Engine Marketing

If you are thinking of outsourcing your search engine optimisation and marketing efforts then it needn't be confusing or frustrating if you start by creating an SEM brief or request for proposal that focuses on your own specific needs.

However, as many marketing managers have already discovered, getting proposals from search engine marketing companies for these services can be time-consuming and, sometimes, frustrating.

First, you have to determine which agencies are worthy of your consideration. The best place to start is to ask marketing colleagues for recommendations. You can also get some ideas by searching online. You also need to consider if their geographic location is important to you. For example if you are based in Manchester a search engine marketing company based in London, Galsgow, Cardiff or even Leeds might be too far away for your liking. However, search engine marketing can be remotely managed and it is not uncommon to find search engine optimisation companies in the UK doing work for customers in cities like New York, Singapore and Dubai!

Once you've drawn up a list of qualified search engine marketing companies, the next step is to send them a brief with the view of getting them to produce a written proposal. The goal is to collect proposals that represent clear and appropriate solutions for your business needs. Achieving this goal can be a challenge.

Successful search engine marketing requires a comprehensive, customised approach based on your campaign's unique characteristics. The SEM project will need to address issues relating to website design and functionality, online copywriting, the searching behaviours of your target audiences, the advantages and disadvantages of the various SEM techniques as well as the timescales involved and the complex ever changing algorithms used by search engines.

A templated, "one size fits all" SEO proposal may not inform you adequately enough to make your best choice. You will want a proposal that touches on all aspects of your specific needs and requirements that can be tuned to bring in the most targeted traffic to your website.

You'll also want proposals that provide information with terminology that is easily quantifiable. However, different search engine marketing agencies offer different packages, talk about their services and strategies using different language than their competitors - often when meaning the same thing, and, they present pricing in different formats while quoting highly variable rates.

One common difference between proposals is that some will incorporate paid-inclusion programs where others will not. Some proposals include link popularity support; others do not. Some are based on performance whilst other offer a retainer based pricing solution. As you can see, variables like this can make analysing SEM proposals difficult; they preclude quick and easy "apples to apples" comparisons.

Finally, not all SEM vendors adhere to the same principles when providing search engine optimisation services. Some firms offer the controversial strategy of "cloaking" while others do not; some search engine optimisation professionals provide services to adult content sites while others decline those campaigns.

Some companies create content for your site, but retain ownership of the content; others do not. If your company has a viewpoint on these issues, it is important to ask potential SEM providers about such topics up front. Furthermore, some companies will provide expert advice in helping you convert that visitor once he/she has arrived on your site

Fortunately, there is a way to solicit proposals that will give you all the information you need to make a good decision. Create your own Brief or Request for Proposal (RFP) for SEM. This checklist shows you how.

Checklist: Creating an Search Engine Marketing RFP/Brief

1. Begin the RFP with an introduction that offers solid, preliminary information about your company, your website, and the goals of the search engine marketing project.

2. Identify your online competitors.

3. State the format for proposals and your deadline requirements.

4. Ask for all the pertinent information you need to know about the SEM agency, including the history of the firm and key personnel, and the strategies proposed and services provided. Stress that you want this information provided in detail, so that you can understand, for example, if one firm's "doorway pages" are the same as another firm's "informational pages."

5. Request a detailed cost and payment schedule.

6. Require at least two references and call them!

7. Include any terms and agreements, including which company owns any new content created in support of the SEM campaign.

Once you've collected all the resulting proposals and done the point-to-point analysis, set up initial meetings and/or conference calls with the most impressive two or three vendors. Don't let price be the only deciding factor in selecting finalists.

Let these meetings carry plenty of weight. You are in the process of finding a partner with whom you hope to develop a long-term relationship; whomever you choose will be an important part of your online success and your ability to work well together is critical. You'll want to determine which search engine marketing company will give you the best customer service, along with the best expertise.

Following these steps for creating your own SEM brief won't guarantee you top results in search engine listings. But it will go a long way toward making it easier to choose a credible, effective agency to help you with your search engine optimisation or pay per click marketing efforts.

For more information on working with search engine marketing companies click on to our ‘Choosing a suitable search engine marketing agency’ section. If you would like to obtain a sample search engine marketing brief or request for proposal then email us and we’ll happily send one through to you.