You’ve been entrusted with a handsome SEM (define) budget. The powers that be bark at you to “start driving some more traffic to the site!”

A few years ago, this would’ve been easier. You could’ve driven more traffic than a 10-lane highway at rush hour. You could’ve attracted enough traffic to find enough folks willing to actually convert.

Traffic quality has always been part of your marketing discussion, a weeny part of the game plan. But times have changed. Conversion rate increases are stalling, and it takes more traffic to convert fewer people. Meanwhile, traffic costs are inflating, and the higher-ups keep mentioning that “ROI” (define) term.

A recent JupiterResearch study sponsored by iProspect indicates SEM (define) professionals are performing multiple tasks, including email marketing and design, as well as managing other marketing channels, mostly in an effort to gain more traffic.

People say they want traffic, but what they really want is business. And depending on your site, that business comes in the form of a sale, lead, or subscription. Now traffic quality isn’t just part of the game, it seems like the whole game. What’s a marketer to do to ensure better quality traffic, better ROI, even better conversion for their SEM budgets?
Continue reading my column at ClickZ…