Sphinn - Search Marketing: Sarah Palin Case Study

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Search Marketing: Sarah Palin Case Study

Posted By: KateMorris 85 days ago
Topic Type: News Story (Jump to http://searchengineland.com)
Category: SEM

Danny Sullivan notes something very true, the times are changing, and presidential candidates are getting better at search marketing, but not in the most recent case. Danny explores how neither campaign is running ads for the new VP nominee.

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from ZakNicola 85 days ago #

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What a waste of campaign money to run an ad like that. I hope Google is charging them a high CPC for that.

from jaybong 85 days ago #

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That landing page is terrible. By 2012 they'll probably have it right, but I think this proves that SEM hasn't really come of age in politics just yet.

Obama could be running all sorts of ads. How about using this picture:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com//gadgets/slideshows/249/webpix//slide_249_4.jpeg and then run the following:

Palin obliterates Grizzly Bears
And will obliterate the economy too
Find out why you shouldn't trust her
sarah-palin.barrackobama.com

from Halfdeck 85 days ago #

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Big business and big brand names don't need search marketing. SEO is for people who are invisible, trying to gain visibility. Will Obama/McCain gain more search traffic if they had a clue? Sure. But they can pay their bills without that traffic.

Give me a ring if anyone in the SEO industry rakes in more money per quarter off the internet than Obama.

from jaybong 84 days ago #

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I think PPC has a genuine role to play in politics. For instance, although my example above was a joke, if the Obama campaign bought ads that critized Sarah Palin they'd get a pretty high CTR. Then the landing page could be full of information on things she voted for with negative connotations, drugs she took when she was young etc.

All you'd have to do is plant the seed of doubt in a voters mind about a person/issue. Especially on things that might not get a lot of coverage in the media. And if the person that clicked on the ad learnt something controvercial they'd probably tell their friends about it.