Schneider Electric’s Digital Transformation through Centralized Search
Challenge
Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management and industrial automation solutions, engaged Merkle to restructure its SEM accounts by business line with compartmentalized budgets and goals. The siloed account and budget approach that previously worked for a small number of accounts did not scale well, causing both investment inefficiencies and customer experience fails.
In October 2019, Schneider Electric’s senior leadership began a “one business” digital transformation campaign. This transformation was motivated by a desire to improve the quality of traffic driven to the website, which ultimately drove more qualified contacts and increased business revenue. Merkle proposed a complete SEM program overhaul to centralize US budgets and align to Schneider Electric’s internal initiative. Over the course of five years, Merkle’s SEM team’s helped evolve Schneider Electric’s program of over 40 paid search accounts in more than ten countries.
“Not only are we being more efficient with our paid search efforts, but more importantly, the Schneider Electric and Merkle partnership created a scalable program that is helping our audiences find the answers to their questions.”
Evan Kent
Vice President, Integrated Marketing
Approach
Merkle partnered with US and global leadership to undergo a transformation of client’s US SEM account and budget management. Fourteen accounts and twenty-two budgets for seven lines of business (LOBs) were consolidated into one account, with one budget. By consolidating budgets, selecting a highly relevant keyword set, and reviewing issue URLs with the team, the transformed US account drove considerable performance improvements and allowed for a robust test-and-learn environment.
Account performance was measured against click-through-rate growth, cost-per-click, and bounce rate efficiency.
Results
63%
increase in US CTR
21%
decrease in US CPC
46%
increase in US CTR YOY, Q1 2020
17%
increase impression share YOY, Q1 2020
Keys to success
- Assessment of account structures against the evolving digital landscape reset on workflow successes and shortcomings
- Partnership with company leadership to understand overarching business goals and centralize them for the first time
- Alignment with Merkle and industry SEM best practices, with long-term account health in mind
