Summary
The significance of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) lies in its capacity to enhance visibility on search engine results pages. Not only does it boost awareness by up to 80%, but the Pay-Per-Click (PPC) model also enables businesses to customize campaigns effectively. This allows airlines to concentrate on conversions by utilizing specific keywords to target relevant audiences with an intent to fly.
SEM is a measurable channel that provides insights into the impact and revenue generated from the initial investment. Currently, SEM channels are so crucial that they account for at least 30% to 40% of the total revenue an airline can generate across all digital marketing channels. This case study examines how Breeze Airways leveraged the power of SEM, particularly through the implementation of new searches such as Bing, to achieve significant increases in bookings and revenue, resulting in remarkable digital growth.
Challenge: Introducing a new search engine
Bing’s market penetration in the US stands at approximately 7%, but it has seen a significant increase to 14% in 2024 compared to 2023. This indicates that actual users are growing their usage of Bing, presenting an opportunity to reach potential customers through SEM strategy. Given this trend, it was ideal for Breeze Airways to establish a presence on Bing with targeted SEM campaigns.
Objective
The objective of incorporating Bing into the SEM strategy was to expand SEM channels and increase revenue and bookings by targeting new customers on a platform that has seen growing usage in recent years. Although the primary motivation originated from the client, there was a lack of information or validated data to confirm the targets that Breeze Airways aimed to achieve from investing in this new platform.
Results:
We implemented the SEM strategy in February 2024, and since then, we have seen increases not only in bookings and revenue but also in traffic and other key performance indicators (KPIs) such as click-through rate (CTR), conversion rate (CVR), and return on ad spend (ROAS). Compared to 2023, we have observed an 11% increase in conversions and revenue, a 7% increase in traffic, a 12% increase in impressions, a 19% increase in CTR, a 17% increase in CVR, and an 18% increase in ROAS. This data was taken from the Bing Ads platform.
We advised the client to start the investment and strategy cautiously, allowing us to test the platform and assess any differences and improvements in the primary KPIs that drive significant results, such as bookings and revenue.
After one and a half months of testing with brand campaigns, we observed positive outcomes and subsequently enabled another campaign type.
We supported the client throughout the process by reviewing platform data and holding strategic decision-making meetings to align our investments with the platform’s performance.
Non-branded campaigns have also been successful. Although we invested less compared to other search engines, the results, particularly in terms of costs, have been favorable, allowing us to maximize our spending.
Our best practice recommendation is to continue monitoring and testing different campaign types to evaluate the platform’s performance. The value Bing has added to Breeze’s SEM strategy is significant. It has enabled us to reach new audiences that were not previously considered before expanding to Bing as an additional search engine.
Next Steps
We will implement a new strategy focused on investing in various products offered by the platform, including performance max campaigns, to continually enhance our results on Bing. Additionally, Breeze will be the first client to test new products, like Performance Max, within Bing among all of our airline clients using this platform.