Ok, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. One of the ways I keep track on certain politicos in New Mexico is through Google Alerts. I have a gmail account associated with this blog, and the news alerts all are fed into that gmail account.
Now, here comes the interesting part… the Republican candidates for President, who seem to be putting significant resources into search engine marketing, are John McCain and Newt Gingrich. Their sponsored ads are the ones that show up next to almost every post that has to do with politics – McCain’s more than Gingrich’s.
As an advertising professional, I can tell you this is a smart move on the part of the McCain camp. I’m not sure why the other candidates, or at least those with money, are not doing the same. My guess is that they are buying keywords, if not they’re INCREDIBLY foolish, but they are not buying them broad enough.
My advertising company actually provides Search Engine Optimization (SEO), both of the organic and paid varieties, for several clients, and I have to tell you, these other campaigns are missing the boat in a big way. It is one of the least expensive ways to reach those in your target demographic. When it comes to politics, I’m a case in point.