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The Google Online Marketing Challenge: Real Clients, Real Money, Real Ads and Authentic Learning

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The Google Online Marketing Challenge: Real Clients, Real Money, Real Ads and Authentic Learning Information Systems Education Journal (ISEDJ) 12 (6) ISSN: 1545-679X November 2014 The Google Online Marketing Challenge: Real Clients, Real Money, Real Ads and Authentic Learning John S. Miko [email protected] School of Business Saint Francis University Loretto, PA 15940 Abstract Search marketing is the process of utilizing search engines to drive traffic to a Web site through both paid and unpaid efforts. One potential paid component of a search marketing strategy is the use of a pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaign in which advertisers pay search engine hosts only when their advertisement is clicked. This paper describes a class exercise utilizing the Google Online Marketing Challenge (GOMC) to teach search marketing and PPC concepts. The GOMC is a global collegiate competition in which student teams utilize a $250 budget provided by Google to design, implement, and monitor a PPC campaign for an actual small business client. This paper argues that the GOMC is an effective exercise to teach search marketing and PPC terminology, skills, and techniques and demonstrates many of the characteristics present in authentic learning environments. Keywords: Search marketing, pay-per-click advertising, search engine, authentic learning 1. INTRODUCTION model in which advertisers pay online hosts, typically but not exclusively, search engines, Search marketing is the process of gaining only when their advertisement is clicked by a traffic and visibility from search engines through potential customer (Sullivan, 2010). One of the both paid and unpaid efforts (Sherman, 2006). most successful and widely used pay-per-click Under search marketing, unpaid efforts generally search marketing programs in the world is fall under the category of Search Engine Google’s Adwords (Kiss, 2010). In 2012 alone, Optimization (SEO). Individuals and Google generated over $43 billion globally in organizations alike apply both onsite and offsite advertising revenue primarily from its Adwords SEO techniques in an effort to have their site program (Google, 2013a). Utilizing the Adwords display high within the search engine results program, advertisers create simple text-based pages for certain desirable keywords (Sullivan, ads that then appear beside Google search 2010). Normally, SEO techniques alone are not results or beside web content on the thousands sufficient to provide the requisite visibility within of Google partner websites that comprise the search engines and are often augmented with Google Network (Google, 2013a). paid search marketing campaigns. Paid efforts within search marketing generally follow a form Since 2008, Google has sponsored the annual of advertising known as pay-per-click (PPC) Google Online Marketing Challenge (GOMC) to advertising. This form of advertising, also provide collegiate students real-life experience commonly referred to as cost-per-click (CPC) designing and implementing an online PPC advertising, is an internet-based advertising advertising campaign using its Google Adwords ©2014 EDSIG (Education Special Interest Group of the AITP) Page 46 www.aitp-edsig.org /www.isedj.org Information Systems Education Journal (ISEDJ) 12 (6) ISSN: 1545-679X November 2014 product for an actual business client. This Undergraduate Degree Programs which serves program has proved to be very popular. as a model for the curriculum of many According to Google, since the inception of the information systems undergraduate programs program “over 50,000 students and professors (Topi, Valacich, Wright, Kaiser, Nunamaker, from almost 100 countries have participated in Sipior, & deVreede, 2010). Nevertheless, there the past 5 years” (Google 2013b). The nature of are several references within the model the GOMC makes it well-suited for an authentic curriculum which may provide evidence to its learning assignment in which the learning usefulness as a topic within an information environment is similar to a real-world application systems program. The foundational course of and produces a product that is “valuable in its the curriculum, IS 2010.1 - Foundation of own right” (Lombardi, 2007, p.4). Information Systems, suggests the inclusion of Web 2.0 topics, specifically citing other internet- This paper describes the use of the GOMC as a based marketing techniques such as crowd- course-embedded authentic learning exercise to sourcing and viral marketing. Further, the teach search marketing and specifically PPC suggested elective course, IS Innovation and advertising. Over the course of 6 weeks of a New Technologies, in the model curriculum semester, students enrolled in an undergraduate recommends the inclusion of a module e-commerce and e-marketing elective course understanding the search space including search offered at a small liberal arts university worked monetization and the strategic importance of in groups through the GOMC to implement an search to organizations (Topi et al., 2010). Adwords campaign for four separate small business clients. This paper describes the As well, other educators have noted the growing assignment, the learning outcomes achieved, importance of search marketing concepts and and lessons learned through the process. have successfully integrated various learning exercises into their courses. Frydenberg and 2. SEARCH MARKETING IN THE IS Miko (2011) embedded a hands-on SEO contest CURRICULUM in both an introductory-level and upper-level information systems course to teach search The use of search marketing has continued to marketing concepts. During the first year of the increase among organizations attempting to get GOMC, the GOMC was integrated into an MBA- their products and services noticed by a market level Management Information Systems course that is continuing to spend more time online. the researchers concluded that it was an According to Search Engine Marketing effective tool in teaching search and search Professional’s (SEMPO) Annual State of Search marketing concepts (Rosso, McClelland, Jansen Survey 2012, the compound annual growth rate & Fleming, 2009). Since that original for search marketing in North America since competition, the GOMC has matured and Google 2004 is a staggering 26% with revenue offers additional educational resources that exceeding $17 billion annually. Further, wrap-around the GOMC. Namely, Google now approximately 86% of this spending is through offers an asynchronous digital marketing course. the use of pay-per-click advertising campaigns In both of these studies, student feedback (SEMPO Institute, 2012). showed that the hands-on, real-life nature of projects stimulated student interest in While industry has embraced search marketing technology and marketing (Rosso et al., 2009; and pay-per-click advertising as an effective Frydenberg & Miko, 2011). mechanism, the teaching of the concepts at the university-levels appears to lag. A survey of According to Connolly (2009) search engines are programs conducted by McCown (2010) showed now the main portal into most public Web sites that while courses covering search concepts and it is increasingly important that students were becoming more prevalent within the learn how search engines work and how curriculum of computer science and sponsored link systems such as Google’s management information systems programs, the function. Given the importance and continuing search courses tended to focus on search growth of search marketing and in particular, algorithms, search information retrieval, and PPC advertising within industry, the skills of search architecture. designing and implementing an effective PPC campaign would appear to be valuable for Search marketing is also not explicitly listed as a students to acquire. topic within IS 2010: Curriculum Guidelines for ©2014 EDSIG (Education Special Interest Group of the AITP) Page 47 www.aitp-edsig.org /www.isedj.org Information Systems Education Journal (ISEDJ) 12 (6) ISSN: 1545-679X November 2014 Further, the highly-applied nature of the GOMC, challenge. A pre-campaign report, submitted designed to supply students hands-on prior to the running of the campaign, provides experience working with actual small business an overview of the selected small business client clients utilizing the industry-leading PPC and details regarding the Adwords campaign program, seems to fit a model of learning known strategy designed by the students. The post- as authentic learning. Under authentic learning campaign report, submitted after the three-week exercises, students work on open-ended, applied campaign concludes, requires students to reflect projects that result in the creation of a tangible on the effectiveness of the campaign, the real-world product (Lombardi, 2007; Lavin, learning aspect of the challenge, and lessons 2010; Reeves, Herrington, & Oliver, 2002). learned including future recommendations for Several researchers have found authentic the client (Google, 2013b). learning to be an effective pedagogy in which learners not only enjoy the applied process but After the conclusion of the campaign and the gain a deeper, more individual understanding of submission of the post-campaign report, student the material (Herrington, Reeves, & Oliver, teams are then judged on three components. 2006) Ramsden, 1992; Watagodakumbura, Statistics generated as part of the campaign 2013). Given the practical, real-world nature of including impressions, clicks, and click-through- the GOMC and the importance of SEM in the rate are automatically assessed by Google. The curriculum, the following research questions structure
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