Vertical Search: Maximizing The Second Tier

Vertical search engines offer an antidote to keyword price inflation and stagnant conversion rates. They provide pools of potential leads that in aggregate can bolster the overall paid search portfolio with new traffic sources and higher lead quality. Marketers interested in expanding their presence beyond the major search engines — Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft's MSN, and Ask.com — can do so easily by identifying second-tier engines that cater to their specific business needs and goals. Once appropriate targets have been chosen and lead aggregators evaluated, marketers should run trial tests on each new site and work closely with account managers and optimizers to ensure a smooth and effective setup.