Photo by melodygutierrez
I’ll admit it, I don’t usually click on a paid ad when I’m searching. Maybe it’s because I don’t want to be the clicker who doesn’t buy something causing a campaign’s CPA to increase, or maybe it’s because I don’t want a cookie on my browser (as if I could avoid it).
After years in search marketing and spending a lot of time in front of a computer, there is no doubt that I’ve developed my own search habits.
So, if the core objective of search marketing is to influence user behavior online, how has my experience with search marketing affected my own search behavior?
I’m not a neurologist or psychologist, so I don’t know the answer to that question, but I do know that I can’t be the only one who has thought about it. Can I?
Confessions of a Search Professional
To get you thinking about your behavior, here are a few of my own habits/confessions:
I look at a search results page and judge the ads, as well as the organic listings if there is time. I grade the ad relevancy, the text, and guesstimate how much it would cost for the click (sometimes while humming the Price is Right theme song.)
I have at least eight Chrome personas; offhand I know that I have one for Facebook, one for shopping, one for work, and one for bills. Maybe it’s because I have my own ideas about tracking, but probably because I like to see if I can control the ads follow me around using different accounts.
When I sign up for something new offline, like a magazine or a contest, I’ll misspell my name or change a part of it, so that when I get ads offline or new emails I can guess who sold my info. (I subscribed to a bride magazine 6 years ago as Jillll P. Trujello and now get American Girl catalogs and baby formula samples to that name. Can’t wait to see what’s next!)
Maybe it’s because of search marketing, maybe it’s my Mom’s fault (kidding), but I’m trying to be more aware of it.
Now It’s Your Turn
If you have a couple minutes, please share your own experience and thoughts by answering a few questions. If there is something that you want to say that doesn’t fit in the scope of the question, there is space at the end of the survey.
Shout out below or on Twitter if you have questions or want to evaluate with me.
