{"id":130699,"date":"2019-06-24T19:56:48","date_gmt":"2019-06-24T19:56:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.searchenginewatch.com\/?p=130699"},"modified":"2020-01-23T17:36:26","modified_gmt":"2020-01-23T17:36:26","slug":"traffic-forecasting-customer-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2019\/06\/24\/traffic-forecasting-customer-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"Traffic forecasting: Predicting potential return from the 87% of buyers who start with search"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.forrester.com\/report\/The+US+Digital+Marketing+Forecast+2018+To+2023\/-\/E-RES142558\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">According<\/a> to Forrester, digital spend is set to top $150 billion by 2023 and account for 35 percent of total ad spend. <\/strong><\/p>\n<p>And this means CMOs will spend more than ever before on <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2019\/06\/13\/small-digital-marketing-budget-tips\/\">paid search<\/a>, banner and outstream video ads, instream video ads, and <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2019\/08\/26\/pitch-to-top-online-publishers-survey\/\">email<\/a> marketing to attract those buyers who start their journey online.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, adopting a \u201cmore is more\u201d attitude toward digital ad spend isn\u2019t always necessarily a good thing. Spending wisely means spending less to generate more, and <a href=\"https:\/\/sewprod.wpenginepowered.com\/2019\/07\/15\/keyword-research-tools-free\/\">keyword<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2019\/06\/24\/traffic-forecasting-customer-journey\/\">traffic forecasting<\/a> is one of a CMO\u2019s best resources to allocate marketing spend across the most useful tactics. Here\u2019s how traffic forecasting could mean smarter ad spend. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2019\/08\/28\/guide-to-keyword-research-content-strategy\/\">Content<\/a> produced in collaboration with <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.investisdigital.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Investis Digital<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<h2><b>What is traffic forecasting?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Traffic forecasting is the implementation of automated <a href=\"https:\/\/sewprod.wpenginepowered.com\/2019\/07\/15\/keyword-research-tools-free\/\">tools<\/a> to help a brand predict which content will resonate with target audiences at a given time by aligning content with user intent. Traffic forecasting can help brands predict <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2018\/12\/11\/related-keywords-tools-discover-optimize\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">how keywords will perform<\/a>, which can help marketers gauge competitor performance, intelligently allocate budgets, and identify the best opportunities to generate results across marketing channels.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Accurate traffic forecasting can also make search a more powerful channel to support multiple functions in an organization. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are three examples of traffic forecasting in action:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CMOs can understand how much time and effort they will need to increase awareness for new products, services, and campaigns. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CROs can plan future revenue models around search, comparing it with other digital channels to determine which tactics they need to drive short-term and long-term growth. <\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product marketers can use traffic forecasting to see market share and demand <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2019\/07\/02\/competitive-research-insight-tools\/\">insights<\/a> when planning new brand or product launches.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using traffic forecasting in order to understand the ways in which <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/optimize-instagram-account-search-engines\">keywords<\/a> and search volume directly affect awareness and demand can help entire organizations better plan content around the words and phrases audiences are actually using to search for their products and services.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>Traffic forecasting in the context of the customer journey<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As noted, traffic forecasting can help businesses plan everything from marketing campaigns to product launches. Forecasting is also essential for aligning your brand with your customer\u2019s online journey. It\u2019s important to note that 87% of shoppers now begin their searches online, whether they plan to purchase online or in store, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/digital-shopper-first-retail-report-research.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">according<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to an August 2018 study by <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2019\/06\/24\/traffic-forecasting-customer-journey\/\">Salesforce<\/a> and Publicis.Sapient. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The days when a sale began with a call to a salesperson may be numbered as all buyers &#8212; and <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2019\/03\/06\/six-tips-for-b2b-paid-search-success\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">especially B2B buyers<\/a> &#8212; begin researching products long before they ever make real-world contact with a brand. As customers increasingly rely on research they find online, search ads have become the first salesperson a potential customer generally reaches out to. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As more customers move online to conduct research in those critical first stages of the buyer journey, it stands to reason that marketers would allocate more of their ad spend to digital channels, such as search marketing. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, many brands are investing in the wrong keywords &#8212; meaning that buyers are reaching out, but marketers aren\u2019t answering their queries in a way that will effectively move them down the path to purchase. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>How traffic forecasting uses data to make a brand relevant along the customer journey <\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Traffic forecasting utilizes <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">all<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> your data.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By incorporating both first and third-party data sources, a good traffic forecasting tool calculates the traffic and revenue possible from SEO and content marketing with these components:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>First-party data (your data)<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First-party data is what makes forecasting results custom in every case. Traffic forecasting tools require basic company and competitor information to tailor results with domain or page-level data, region, and other data points that can make a forecast as detailed or broad as you need. The more detailed the data, the more accurate the forecast.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Third-party authority data<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Analyzing third-party data sources with a traffic forecasting tool can help validate search volume and rank on a real-time basis, which ensures forecasts are as accurate as possible. The best forecasting tools incorporate APIs from industry-leading brands such as Authority Labs, Google Ads, Advanced Web Ranking, and SEMRush. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Authority Labs and SEMRush both provide keyword ranking data in real-time to generate projections for companies and competitors. The Google Ads API shows the popularity of keywords to define search volume, competition, and cost-per-click rates over time. Advanced Web Ranking provides insights into keyword clicks by examining <a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/2018\/02\/13\/understanding-click-through-rate-ctr-in-the-context-of-search-satisfaction\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">clickthrough rates<\/a> by <a href=\"https:\/\/sewprod.wpenginepowered.com\/2019\/06\/06\/regulation-in-seo-industry\/\">industry<\/a> segmentation and Google positions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A traffic forecasting tool combines all these insights in or to examines trends in historical data, algorithm changes, and industry data. By using both first- and third-party data sources, traffic forecasting tools can provide insight that helps move customers down the path to purchase. This information also allows results to be tailored for individual brands and offers more personalized, accurate projections. <\/span><\/p>\n<h3><b>Domain or page-level forecast<\/b><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By utilizing both first- and third-party data, traffic forecasting tools can instantly produce reports providing monthly traffic and revenue forecasts for up to 24 months of a typical SEO engagement \u2013 at the domain or page level. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forecasts are designed to show a conservative outlook incremental to data currently available and are on average 20 to 30 percent more conservative than actual results. <\/span><\/p>\n<h2><b>What are key features of an automated traffic forecasting tool?<\/b><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Traffic forecasting is a complex process that requires ongoing management, multiple and shifting data sources, and complex calculations. Therefore, it generally requires an automated tool specifically designed to calculate the benefits of individual keywords. Many automated tools on the market offer limited solutions and are costly to maintain. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A truly worthwhile automated tool for traffic forecasting provides the following insights:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Monthly traffic and revenue projections<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Insights into the impact of specific keywords on customized initiatives and goals<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Project engagement and ROI for defined keywords in both search and social<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identification of gaps in competitors\u2019 strategies<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Identification of weaknesses in your own strategy<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more information on how to get the most from your search spend using automated tools for traffic forecasting, check out Investis Digital\u2019s whitepaper, \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/white-papers\/forecasting-for-traffic-and-revenue-potential\/?utm_source=sew&amp;utm_medium=article&amp;utm_campaign=one\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Forecasting for Traffic and Revenue Potential<\/a>\u00a0.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Traffic forecasting is one of a CMO\u2019s best resources to allocate marketing spend across the most useful tactics. Here\u2019s how traffic forecasting could mean smarter ad spend.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1092,"featured_media":130702,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,10,5,27488],"tags":[1245,228,27539,27540,12356,27538],"content_type":[],"class_list":["post-130699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-analytics","category-ppc","category-seo","category-sponsored","tag-ad-spend","tag-analytics","tag-digital-ad-spend","tag-marketing-spend","tag-salesforce","tag-traffic-forecasting"],"acf":{"tad_independentcommercial":false,"tad_content_format":false},"post_info":{"name":"idris.nagri@blenheimchalcot.com idris.nagri@blenheimchalcot.com","title":"","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/shutterstock_675817645-120x90.png","category":"Analytics","timeago":"7y"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1092"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=130699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/130699\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/130702"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=130699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=130699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=130699"},{"taxonomy":"content_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/searchenginewatch.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_type?post=130699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}