It was our pleasure last week to host our second virtual event of 2021 – Seamless Search; Ask Us Anything. We sat down with Incubeta’s Senior Commercial Manager, Sophie Dixon, and Director of Strategy, Damien Bennett, to discuss ways to maximize the effectiveness of Seamless Search for brands.
Seamless Search has been recognized as “Best Martech Solution” in the Wires and “Best SEM Solution” in the Martech Breakthrough awards since its launch event in September. Thanks for recognizing Seamless Search’s results.
This ‘Ask Us Anything’ session provided a deeper look into Seamless Search’s capabilities, and how it can solve key business challenges, by answering a range of questions from the audience.
Seamless search: its origins
Historically, Seamless Search has been a background idea. For many years, we’ve been asked by clients how incremental their paid search is. In particular, we focus on the incremental value of paid search once organic coverage is removed from the equation. Although there were a number of tests seeking to assess this impact, none of them were optimal. There were a lot of searches that weren’t comprehensive – many keywords within these sets produced different behaviors that ultimately affected the accuracy of the results. Based on advances in machine learning, we could determine whether or not you should pay for keywords for which you already have a high organic position.
Seamless Search began as a project designed to develop and run an advanced and accurate incrementality test, but it evolved into something much more comprehensive. To make the insights derived from the test actionable, we considered the benefits of automation based on incrementality of the two channels.
Search Ads 360 – Seamless and seamless
The benefit of Seamless Search is that it complements SA360, not replaces it. Unlike SA360, Seamless Search handles specific keywords that have a question mark around the incremental value of paying for them. Platforms such as SA360 manage the scale of paid search activity. In addition to the existing paid search software that advertisers are already using, Seamless Search serves as a complementary platform.
Auctions
Multiple factors can affect incrementality – both externally and internally – when one examines the interplay between paid and organic search:
ML is used in Seamless Search to understand which combinations produce incremental clicks. A bid adjustment is made once the optimal position for appearing in a paid perspective has been identified.
Google Adwords and seamless search
You need to remember that Google Adwords/Organic Reporting looks at a single channel, while Seamless Search looks at the revenue attributed to that channel, minus cannibalisation, when comparing Seamless Search to Google Adwords/Organic Reporting. Reporting and actioning are handled by Seamless Search, not by Google Ads or Search Console.
An increase in ROI
Analyzing what happens when you combine Seamless Search with two channels is the best way to measure ROI. We’re seeing the best of both worlds using data from existing Seamless Search clients. The Seamless Search tool helps advertisers increase their coverage and also identify areas where they can create efficiencies. As a result, advertisers see both an increase in revenue and ROI.
Predictions
With Seamless Search being a new platform, we provide our prospects with projections of how Seamless Search will impact their overall search results in order to build a business case. A platform’s suitability for businesses can be determined by this. If you would like to receive a forecast of incremental revenue, click here.
As part of the onboarding process, you will be provided with specialist guidance that will consist of two sessions: i) The first session will cover the platform functionality and ii) The second session will cover open Q&A sessions with the team. A pre-recorded video explaining the platform’s basic functionality will also be available to support users. Additional costs apply to customized training on more advanced uses of the platform.
