Yucca

2010 PPC projections

Following on from our look at SEO in 2010-11 Ed and I thought it would be a good idea to nail our flag to the mast and forecast our 2010 PPC projections.

Conversion paths will become clearer
All reasonable analytic packages provide details of your onsite conversion paths, however, only the most expensive provide offsite conversion analysis. So we think, based on 2009’s continual improvements to Google Analytics (many of which have been borrowed from Google-owned Doubleclick’s paid for tools), Google will begin to provide a better idea of path-to-conversion analysis for PPC traffic, following in the footsteps of Impression to Conversion analysis (already available on the Google Content network).

Adwords & Analytics become blood brothers
It’s been possible to link Analytics and Adwords for years, to establish goal tracking. However, in 2010, we think other key performance metrics will become integrated too.

Google CPA extended
As we mentioned in a ppc search ads blog earlier in the year, Google is likely to extend its beta Cost per Acquisition (CPA) model to the wider marketplace in 2010 or beyond.

New ways of working
Linked to the above, lead capture forms in the ppc results
and pay per call mobile ads shows Google will continue to push the boundaries of its cpc ppc principles in 2010.

Bing and Yahoo alliance will make no difference
Most observers expect the Microsoft and Yahoo merger will pass the US anti-trust/ competition regulators in 2010. Whilst this should result in Yahoo/ Bing stealing a little market-share from Google, and obtaining more interest from advertisers as a result, we think the status quo will remain largely unchanged and Google will continue its dominance across most markets.

PPC ads ROCK
Whilst it can be argued that natural search developments are devaluing the number 1 natural search listing (discussed in our recent SEO blog), recent PPC developments are actually increasing PPC prominence. Product listings, sitelinks and shifting ads on the left hand side have all increased the PPC share of page/ real estate this year and there's every reason to think this trend will continue in 2010.

This hardly comes as a surprise of course, as PPC can serve to both deliver the best results for customers and make LOADS of revenue for Google.

CPCs to rise
As we start to come out of recession, more businesses will plough a greater share of their budgets into PPC. As a result, search marketing agencies will need to work hard to counter the inflationary effects on CPCs.