Search Engine Marketing
At SignaCert I implemented an SEM campaign for the FDCC product offering. The objective was to build awareness and attract government agency customers. The offering presented a new way for these customers to comply with an unfunded federal mandate for computer security using SignaCert.
Adwords and Search Engine Optimization
Using Google Adwords I created 12 discrete campaigns to capture the various different ways that the subject might be approached by our target customers. Each campaign had between 60 and 200 word combinations and we specified that we wanted to appear no lower than sixth on any list of displayed ads. Dynamic ads were used to ensure that the viewers’ search terms were included in the displayed ads.
With a budget of $3000 per month we generated approximately 20,000 impressions and had a click-through rate ranging from 1% to 1.5%. However, virtually no one completed the download of the application over the duration of the campaigns. What we learned from this (and some additional field research) was that there was so much uncertainty about what compliance to FDCC meant that people were just trying to understand what solutions were available but not implementing anything. Because the mandate was unfunded there was no impetus for anyone to spend their thin budget on a solution.
Landing Pages
Custom landing pages were developed for each campaign allowing customers to view broader messaging to strengthen their impressions. Keeping these landing pages simple and the options for next steps simple kept users focused and encouraged click through.
Direct the Experience
To download the application, the user simply had to provide their name and email address. Once the form was completed, the user was instructed to look in their inbox for a download link and instructions.
Immediate Results
Download and installation of the application typically took less than 2:00 minutes which allowed the user to view results immediately while their interest level was still high. Once the application completed its scan of the users’ computer it presented a report via the browser. The user could then assess how closely their computer matched the FDCC standard for their operating system.