The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article:
May 2007, Volume 6, Issue 5

The Rise of Hispanics Online: Make New “Amigos” Through Pay Per Click Advertising

by Federico Murara, Search Specialist, iProspect

Hispanics are the largest growing minority in the U.S. marketplace and they are embracing the Internet in staggering numbers. According to eMarketer, there are an estimated 16.7 million Hispanic Internet users in the U.S. and that number is expected to grow to 21 million by 2010. So it is essential for search marketers to understand the best ways to reach this community. One strategy I recommend is utilizing pay per click advertising.

Here are some general guidelines for targeting Hispanic audiences online with your pay per click campaign:

Campaign Set Up: Set up both English and Spanish language campaigns to target your audience. This way you maximize your online presence regardless of the language used to search for your products or services. Many Hispanic users will search in Spanish as well as English, while others will search in Spanish exclusively. Targeting both can also establish which language is generating the majority of your conversions and how to expand other paid search initiatives (paid inclusion, shopping feeds, etc.) based on those findings. You may even want to set up a site-targeting campaign by placing ads only on Spanish language websites.

Ad Text: Include Spanish ad text (referred to as “creative”) to accompany your English keyword set. I, personally, am the perfect example of why this strategy can be effective. English is my second language and I usually search in English, but I am definitely drawn to a Spanish ad that is related to my query. Be ready to add any reference to the searcher’s home country or Hispanic heritage, if applicable, as you will surely increase interest on your product or service.

Keyword Set: Hispanic users are still in the early stages of search, so they will probably not use as many three or four-word keyword search phrases. Instead, target shorter terms that describe your products. Include iterations and misspellings, especially with your English keyword set because Spanish speakers may make more spelling mistakes if searching in English.

Bidding Strategy: The plain truth is that Spanish keywords are cheaper than English ones. In some cases you can attain a position one ranking on a non-branded keyword with only a $0.10 - $0.30 bid. This represents a great opportunity to drive qualified traffic at a relatively low cost and increase your return on advertising spend (ROAS).

Interested in making some new “amigos” online? Start by implementing some of the pay per click advertising strategies above. Be creative in finding the best ways to reach this audience, and keep in mind that like never before online information is influencing the purchase decisions among Hispanics. So go ahead, take a chance and expose your products or services to this burgeoning community.
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The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article: May 2007, Volume 6, Issue 5

The Rise of Hispanics Online: Make New “Amigos” Through Pay Per Click Advertising

The Search Marketing Advisor Newsletter Article:
May 2007, Volume 6, Issue 5