NetIQ announced on Monday the availability of a search marketing analysis tool within its WebTrends Reporting Series that will give customers an idea of how their search programs are performing.
NetIQ will now include a tool in both its software and hosted WebTrends Reporting Series that allows companies to sort out how customers are using search to arrive at their site, including whether it is through paid search listings or through regular search results. Coupled with the other marketing analytics offered by WebTrends, the company said customers would be able to compare their various marketing programs on an equal basis.
“The reason that we’re doing it is [search] is a hotly growing area,” said Jeff Seacrist, group product manager for WebTrends Solutions. “The need to understand what’s effective and what is not is getting very critical.”
WebTrends will report the effectiveness of keyword advertising programs, including their conversion rates and return on investment. Through its integration with WebTrends reports, Seacrist said clients could have an all-in-one solution to compare keyword advertising with their other online marketing initiatives, like banner and e-mail advertising.
“It’s the marriage of the deep level of analytics with a deep understanding of search,” he said.
WebTrends Reporting Series’ 10,000 clients will have the opportunity to define their own parameters for measuring their search programs, setting their own definitions for a successful conversion, for example. The reporting series will come with preloaded search-measurement templates.
Search marketing firm iProspect said it planned to use the WebTrends service in its own optimization efforts on behalf of clients.
A number of other companies offer search marketing analysis, ranging from analytics tools provided by paid search providers such as Overture Services and FindWhat.com, to other Web analytics offerings, such as that spawned by recent deal between AtomZ and WebSideStory.
With the search industry expected to be a $7 billion business by 2007, paid search providers have rushed to provide their advertisers with tools to measure more than simply click-through rates for their keyword programs. Overture has tabbed analytics as one of its core areas for investment, plunking down $9.5 million in January for its own analytics firm, Keylime Software. This year, FindWhat.com has rolled out a number of analytics offerings, including an ROI calculator.
