Vertical Search Rising

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Patricia Hurst’s post on Search Engine Land showing that B2B marketers are shifting to search marketing is something we have been aware of at TopTenWholesale. What we’d like to add is that some of the best opportunities in search for B2Bs are on vertical search engines.

B2Bs Catching Up With B2Cs

It’s been apparent for some time that B2B marketers have been slow to adopt search marketing when compared to B2C sites. Hurst reviews various research studies illustrating this point, including last year’s Forrester survey, which shows B2Bs invest more heavily in trade shows, public relations and print advertising, while search marketing getting far less attention. Then there’s the Marketing Sherpa research comparing B2B to B2C Internet marketing budgets, also showing that B2C marketers allocate more to search marketing than B2B counterparts.

As Hursh noted, B2B marketers are warming up to search in 2007, with respondents in the Forrester study indicating they planned to increase search budgets this year. These findings coincide with SEMPO data collected for its annual report last year, showing that marketers will be shifting dollars from traditional to online marketing and search.

Reasons for the shift are obvious, as decision makers read the writing on the wall that says search drives commerce, online and offline. Consumers and business buyers research online before they shop – that’s a given. Therefore, search has become the mainstay in modern marketing budgets, and B2B marketers are catching on fast.

General Search Engines Losing Luster

B2B marketers know that general search engines like Google are losing their luster. Outsell reported a search failure rate of 31.9 percent for business users last year. Convera confirmed this finding and went further to say that general search options do not meet the needs of today’s business and professional users. This results in time inefficiencies and unmet needs as critical information can’t be found quickly on the web.

The Convera study identified a significant trend: Vertical search engines are being developed by trade publications to serve as search destination for their industries. These verticals can be organized by topic or by industry, and are a significant trend that will continue to accelerate.

Virtues of Going Vertical

One of the best things you can do as a B2B marketer is to promote your site in the verticals. Your target market is there, highly qualified and segmented. First, ensure that your site is well primed for organic listings. Then capitalize on sponsored listings and look for the lift in clicks and conversions.

There are many other promotional opportunities you can take advantage of in the verticals that simply don’t exist in general search engines. Vertical search engines are run by highly specialized professionals within a specific niche, so they can advise you on the type of marketing that works best. General search engines, on the other hand, don’t focus on advising unique business segments on their advertising needs. Because the verticals are smaller, they work harder to please customers and provide custom solutions.

Advertising on Verticals Is Cost Effective

Verticals are particularly cost-effective for small businesses, giving them a level playing field compared to what they face on general search engines. Here, where they can afford to buy their key terms, the audience is rarefied but highly qualified.

Actually, verticals are cost-effective for any business. The keyword buys are lower, and advertisers can expect higher click-throughs and conversions, resulting in a better marketing ROI.

Advertising Opportunities on Verticals

You can get pay-per-click advertising, banner ads and other promotional marketing services on vertical search engines. You get better brand recognition on verticals because a niche audience is going to recognize your brand a lot faster than they would on general search engines. The exposure may be lower but your brand recognition will be higher.

When it comes to banner ads, many times you can request and receive custom positioning. That’s because verticals will go out of their way to please customers. Verticals provide highly relevant content for their users with targeted banners, so it’s a win-win for customers and advertisers.

Some verticals will provide a link directly to a customer’s site or requested URL. This gives you an SEO benefit because the link from an authority site will give you higher organic rankings.

Another benefit is that some verticals have blogs on which you can comment. This can result in User Generated Media that you can use. Look for opportunities to comment on topics relevant to your niche.

Did you know that some verticals have email lists, and these databases include people interested in your niche? These opt-in email lists are more relevant than mass-market offerings. Users opt in to receive emails on topics of interest. Advertisers place ads in the email newsletters. Relevant ads to a receptive audience make good sense.

Last, but not least, B2B marketers enjoy an advantage on verticals because their ads are exposed to a highly motivated, targeted audience. Click-throughs can be fewer — this saves you money. Conversions can be higher — this makes you money. No two ways about it: B2B advertising on vertical search engines is a win-win.