Preface
This book is designed to fill a gap in the search world. While there have been many books on website analytics, search engine optimization (SEO), and paid search (and even some on site search), this book looks at bringing these disciplines together as search engine marketing (SEM), as originally conceived by Danny Sullivan (http://searchengineland.com/does-sem-seo-cpc-still-add-up-37297). Solid search programs are driven by data and analysis, and combine both SEO and paid search tactics. Site search is an oft-forgotten source of mineable data, and should be included as part of your overall SEM program.
Note
Nowadays, SEM has been co-opted to define paid search. When Danny Sullivan first coined the term, his intent was to illustrate that SEO was part of a search strategy and that the newly defined space of paid search was another part of a total search strategy. Search engine marketing referred to the overall search program.
My goal is to get you thinking about how to segment your data, as well as to show you how to use some of the available tools that can help you think of ways SEM can be used to improve revenue. We will also discuss how to measure the health of your current search programs: how to identify bottlenecks, whether you can compete against other sites, and what you need to consider if you do decide to compete.
The truth of the matter is that there are many websites and software options that enable search gurus to do what they do. The exciting thing about search analytics ...