NEYE is a chain of stores in Denmark and Sweden that specializes in the sale of bags, backpacks and suitcases. Like many other retailers, NEYE has invested in branded keywords in Google Ads to be visible in a competitive market. But could this spend be reduced in favor of free, organic traffic? With an ambition to optimize their digital marketing strategy and reduce unnecessary costs, IIH Nordic investigated whether it was possible to shift some of the paid clicks to organic traffic and, if so, how much could be achieved.
Results
- Annual savings of a significant amount for Google
- Reallocation of the saved ad budget to more effective campaigns and initiatives
- Better insights and more accurate CPC calculations
Alternative approach to marketing strategy
NEYE invested heavily in branded keywords, but the question of whether this strategy was effective – and whether organic traffic could take the place of paid clicks at no extra cost – had never been tested. Could NEYE reduce their paid search traffic spend while maintaining visibility and traffic? This question required in-depth analysis and a critical mindset to explore alternatives to the existing strategy.
New hypothesis challenges
An experiment was conducted where branded ads were disabled for a period of 14 days to measure the ability of organic traffic to take over from paid clicks. This step required no additional cost to implement. At first glance in the reports, it would appear that SEO could not make up for the paused ads in Google. However, to come to a fair conclusion, it required a deeper analysis, which IIH undertook.
Increase in organic traffic at no cost
The post-testing approach included careful analysis of search data from multiple sources, visualization of insights and a deep understanding of the target audience who were actively searching for the NEYE brand. This methodology proved to pay off. Organic traffic grew significantly and exceeded expectations by capturing all the traffic that would otherwise have to be purchased via branded ads in Google Ads. This was achieved at no additional cost and challenged the common practice of investing in branded ads. The example demonstrates the value of analytical skills and a holistic approach to digital marketing that integrates SEO and paid advertising.
Wasted advertising spend can be used efficiently
The project resulted in significant savings for NEYE. The good results also opened up the opportunity to reallocate budget from unnecessary paid brand ads to more effective campaigns and initiatives, as well as improved insight into the real cost per click (click rates based on incremental traffic rather than click rates reported by the platform itself, i.e. Google Ads). Overall, a more effective and meaningful marketing strategy.
Data-driven approach creates results
IIH Nordic’s work with NEYE is a testament to the power and value of data-driven decisions. By challenging the status quo and taking an integrated approach to organic and paid traffic, NEYE’s digital marketing strategy has improved and it shows how companies can optimize their ad spend. This case highlights the importance of being curious, data-driven and focused on quality – core values that drive IIH Nordic forward.
