• Branded CPL 50% less than Google
  • Non-Branded CPL 25% less than Google

About Search Optics

Search Optics is a digital marketing company specializing in fully customized, integrated solutions across mobile, paid search, social media, programmatic display, email marketing, and data and analytics. The company works with customers in multiple verticals, including automotive, gaming, hotels, food and beverage, and senior living. Past and present clients include Ford, BMW, Toyota, Chrysler, and Chevrolet.

Using Yahoo Gemini allowed us to explore new audiences and capture low funnel traffic. often for less than the competitor search engines. By Using Marin to leverage and automate reporting, we can implement new publishers without much additional labor.

Robert Toth
SEM Channel Services Manager

In Search of Car Shoppers

Like many marketers, Search Optics was in pursuit of incremental conversions, at or below their average cost-per-conversion on their primary marketing partner, Google. The client for this project was a large West Coast-based auto dealership. The challenge for Search Optics—finding a meaningful number of potential car buyers in an environment less competitive than Google. Did any untapped channels with these characteristics still exist?

A Focus on the Right Intent Data

Search Optics turned to its marketing technology partner Marin Software and its Customer Success team for guidance. The team at Marin suggested that Search Optics explore Yahoo's performance advertising platform, "Yahoo Gemini." The appeal of Gemini is the reach of a major publisher with lower-funnel intent data, without the fierce competition of major marketing channels.

Yahoo Gemini has:

  • 1 billion users
  • 600 million mobile users
  • 117 million searches per month

Gemini combines the power of search with the reach of native. It accomplishes this by capturing intent through its search engine, with the ability to then remarket those same users as they traverse through the Yahoo network.

Marin Software’s campaign management capabilities for Yahoo Gemini are the same as for Google and Bing. This enabled Search Optics to use its same workflow to set up and run a test of Yahoo Gemini without any business disruption. Post-test, Marin Software provided a quick side-by-side evaluation. Search Optics’ initial foray into Gemini yielded promising results, topping their initial expectations, with the average lead costing up to 50% less than the prevailing average on their established marketing channels.

Results

CPL:

  • Branded CPL 50% less than Google
  • Non-Branded CPL 25% less than Google