Creating a Fixed Placement Questionnaire

Fixed placement is alive and well when it comes to keyword banner ads. However, due in large part to the demand for Pay-For-Placement pricing by advertisers, search engines are replacing their Fixed Placement advertising program with a Pay-For-Placement model when it comes to keyword text links. There's certainly no harm in requesting Fixed Placement for keyword listings if the advantages appear to outweigh the challenges for your company. The right amount of cash always opens doors that don't appear visible from the outside, or in this case, in the online media kit.

And where one door closes , another opens. Vertical market content sites are tapping into the demand for text link advertising, and a great number are starting with Fixed Placement programs. CPM, CPC, and CPA are all fair game pricing models for negotiation on content sites. Vertical content sites are targeted because they're focused around keyword themes. Search engines connect consumers to content sites, so why not advertise at the end destination?

Whether you're interested in Fixed Placement on search engines or content sites, there are many questions whose answers will help you better evaluate each venue 's program. The following are based on the advantages and challenges reviewed in this chapter, so you can return here once you have collected the data. The questions require slight modification if you use them for content sites because the "keyword" part won't likely apply; you'll be considering specific content pages instead.

1. What is the name of your keyword text link advertising programs (if applicable )?

2. Where is the ad listing located on a search results page?

3. What are the ad specifications (number of lines, character length of each line, and so on)?

4. Will my ad listing appear on any of your partner web sites? If so, describe.

5. How many ad positions are available?

6. What is your contract length minimum?

7. What is your contract cost minimum?

8. What are your keyword rates (CPM, CPC, CPA)?

9. Have you offered keyword advertising on a CPA basis, and if so, at what monthly spending level?

10. What are your cancellation terms?

11. Do you offer keyword exclusivity? If so, define exclusivity.

12. What percentage of your monthly keyword inventory is available for purchase?

13. What happens if there are impressions or clicks available over what I've purchased?

14. Do you have a limit on the number of listing modifications per month? If so, describe.

After you've collected this information, you can assess the deliverables and risks of each venue. When you're ready to narrow your list to a few main players, then put on your negotiator 's hat and ask for those deal-making incentives I mentioned earlier. This gives you final data to select the winning vendors .

Agencies that manage Fixed Placement campaigns on behalf of clients sometimes receive a commission from the search engines. If you represent an agency, ask your media rep if the quoted rates are gross or net. An average gross rate includes a 15% markup that search engines won't rebate back to an advertiser, but will offer to an agency as an incentive to bring them multiple clients . A net rate means there's no markup, so an agency needs to determine how they'll get paid for their efforts (online media agencies may charge a 15 ‚ 30% media commission for campaign setup, management, and reporting).

Not quite sure if Fixed Placement is the best start for your company? There's an easier and less expensive way to jump into the search engine advertising game. Along with a myriad of companies, you can get your feet wet with Pay-For-Placement campaigns.