Reading the Tea Leaves: Paid search and presidential personality

Sometimes it is the little things that reveal a lot about a personality. In 2008, there is no doubt that the Internet is at the center of the presidential communications campaign. And since a website is generally a good reflection of a brand, let’s begin at the beginning (as Lewis Carroll would say), with a Google search.

The top three presidential contenders are all running paid search campaigns.

A great deal of thought goes into the landing page for a paid search keyword. The click costs money, and what is returned must be a single, focused message designed to produce the desired response, or in search lingo, the conversion. Everything you care about has to boil down to one or two actions.

All three are using a classic PPC (pay-per-click) conversion technique…clicking on a paid search term (those highlighted in pale yellow at the top of Google)

returns a web page with a single message and primary conversion. The theory is that someone who searches on your keyword, and clicks on a paid link, is an active prospect. They have sought out information on you (your brand, product, whatever), and you must now present clear choices that push them through to the next step, to your conversion.

All three use video to support that conversion.

McCain’s landing page is dominated by video, shot at what is called a heroic angle. The last quarter of the page surrenders to an email form and donate button. Along the top, navigation provides support and reasons to believe.

With Clinton, the priorities are shifted …video is smaller and the donate function dominates the page. And it’s not simple. Contact information must be provided, select type and amount (ummm type? Cash? Recurring? So many choices…)

Obama, on the other hand, just wants you to participate. His landing page has a single conversion, to “Join Us”. This is reinforce by his video. There is no "Donate" button on this screen. There is however a Spanish version.

Conclusion: McCain wants you to watch, Clinton wants you to donate, and Obama wants you to join. The leaves are in the bottom of the cup. Read them as you will.