GOOGLE ADWORDS CASE STUDY AOL UK trebled its …GOOGLE ADWORDS CASE STUDY AOL UK trebled its new...

2
GOOGLE ADWORDS CASE STUDY AOL UK trebled its new customer acquisition with Google AdWords “Google AdWords ® has been very effective at driving customer visitation, increasing sales, saving costs and converting customers.” www.aol.co.uk With more than 2.4 million UK members, AOL is the leading online interactive service provider to the UK. The company offers a range of services including dial- up, broadband and voice, as well as more than 20 channels of online content ranging from Entertainment and News to Parenting, Shopping and Money. AOL (UK) Limited is part of AOL Europe, a business unit of America Online Inc., the world's leading interactive services company, with more than 28 million members worldwide. AOL UK’s digital marketing partner is the Isobar Communications agency Diffiniti, a leading provider of integrated digital marketing services. Challenge As part of an integrated marketing strategy for many of its clients, Diffiniti has a long history of managing search advertising including Google AdWords ® . The agency also uses affiliate programmes, email and web ads, and special promotions in a strategic mix. Since September 2002, the agency has worked with AdWords on behalf of AOL UK. Hannah Evershed, the lead Diffiniti Search Account Manager, says there are two primary goals in undertaking a Google AdWords campaign: to increase customer acquisition and to lower the cost of acquiring or converting new customers. Results “Our primary marketing objective was – and continues to be – to create advertising programmes that reach and acquire new AOL customers in a cost-effective manner,” said Evershed. To achieve this the Diffiniti search team “made the most of Google’s ability to categorise keywords and phrases into Ad Groups. We optimised Ad Group performance against real-time reported customer acquisition data and then re-categorised keywords where necessary. We also used Google’s maximisation capabilities to expand and refine our keyword lists and copy, and rotated multiple descriptions per keyword category to test response. Ultimately, these all helped to improve the programme’s performance.” As a result of this effort, “we met all expectations, and, in fact, exceeded them” said Evershed. “We doubled, and then trebled, the number of new customers. Over the course of a nine month campaign, monthly customer acquisition growth averaged 52 percent.” In reviewing the campaign Evershed says that to compare keyword advertising with other online advertising methods “is like comparing apples with oranges.” She adds, “It’s our view that online display advertising, e-customer relationship management (eCRM) efforts, print, broadcast, other offline media campaigns and Hannah Evershed Diffiniti Search Account Manager “we met all expectations, and, in fact, exceeded them. We doubled, and then trebled, the number of new customers.”

Transcript of GOOGLE ADWORDS CASE STUDY AOL UK trebled its …GOOGLE ADWORDS CASE STUDY AOL UK trebled its new...

Page 1: GOOGLE ADWORDS CASE STUDY AOL UK trebled its …GOOGLE ADWORDS CASE STUDY AOL UK trebled its new customer acquisition with Google AdWords “Google AdWords® has been very effective

GOOGLE ADWORDS CASE STUDY

AOL UK trebled its new customer acquisitionwith Google AdWords

“Google AdWords® hasbeen very effective at

driving customervisitation, increasing

sales, saving costs andconverting customers.”

www.aol.co.uk

With more than 2.4 million UK members, AOL is the leading online interactiveservice provider to the UK. The company offers a range of services including dial-up, broadband and voice, as well as more than 20 channels of online contentranging from Entertainment and News to Parenting, Shopping and Money. AOL(UK) Limited is part of AOL Europe, a business unit of America Online Inc., theworld's leading interactive services company, with more than 28 million membersworldwide. AOL UK’s digital marketing partner is the Isobar Communicationsagency Diffiniti, a leading provider of integrated digital marketing services.

Challenge

As part of an integrated marketing strategy for many of its clients, Diffiniti has along history of managing search advertising including Google AdWords®. The agencyalso uses affiliate programmes, email and web ads, and special promotions in astrategic mix.

Since September 2002, the agency has worked with AdWords on behalf of AOLUK. Hannah Evershed, the lead Diffiniti Search Account Manager, says there aretwo primary goals in undertaking a Google AdWords campaign: to increase customeracquisition and to lower the cost of acquiring or converting new customers.

Results

“Our primary marketing objective was – and continues to be – to create advertisingprogrammes that reach and acquire new AOL customers in a cost-effectivemanner,” said Evershed. To achieve this the Diffiniti search team “made the mostof Google’s ability to categorise keywords and phrases into Ad Groups. We optimisedAd Group performance against real-time reported customer acquisition data andthen re-categorised keywords where necessary. We also used Google’s maximisationcapabilities to expand and refine our keyword lists and copy, and rotated multipledescriptions per keyword category to test response. Ultimately, these all helped toimprove the programme’s performance.”

As a result of this effort, “we met all expectations, and, in fact, exceeded them”said Evershed. “We doubled, and then trebled, the number of new customers. Overthe course of a nine month campaign, monthly customer acquisition growthaveraged 52 percent.”

In reviewing the campaign Evershed says that to compare keyword advertising withother online advertising methods “is like comparing apples with oranges.” Sheadds, “It’s our view that online display advertising, e-customer relationshipmanagement (eCRM) efforts, print, broadcast, other offline media campaigns and

Hannah EvershedDiffiniti Search

Account Manager

“we met all expectations, and, in fact, exceeded them. We doubled,and then trebled, the number of new customers.”

Page 2: GOOGLE ADWORDS CASE STUDY AOL UK trebled its …GOOGLE ADWORDS CASE STUDY AOL UK trebled its new customer acquisition with Google AdWords “Google AdWords® has been very effective

GOOGLE ADWORDS

Google AdWords is currently used bythousands of businesses worldwide to gainnew customers in a cost-effective way.

AdWords uses keywords to preciselytarget ad delivery to web users seekinginformation about a particular productor service.

The programme is based on cost-per-click (CPC) pricing, so advertisers onlypay when an ad is clicked.

Advertisers can take advantage of anextremely broad distribution networkand choose the level of support andspending appropriate for their business.

MORE INFORMATION

For more information visitwww.google.co.uk/ads

GOOGLE ADWORDS CASE STUDY

search engine marketing initiatives are intrinsically linked. They are co-operative,they are collaborative. It is our focus on integrated marketing communications thathelps us fully understand and develop the value that our Google AdWords®

investments contribute to AOL’s business growth in the UK.”

Overall, says Evershed, “AdWords® has been ‘very effective’ at driving customervisitation, increasing sales, saving costs and converting customers. The option tohave multiple descriptions in rotation per keyword is a unique selling point, and onethat benefits Diffiniti clients. For these reasons, Evershed says the agency willcontinue using Google keyword advertising in the future, for AOL UK and otherclients.”

© Copyright 2005. Google is a trademark of Google Inc. All other company and productnames may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.

uk-aw-aol-1