Online marketing at its best: Blackbit receives BVDW SEA certificate

We received the SEA quality certificate from the Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft e.V. (BVDW) for 2018, confirming our expertise, customer satisfaction and transparency in the field of search engine advertising (SEA). SEA is a powerful tool that small and medium-sized companies should use to be found online and increase sales if they want to assert themselves against larger competitors and reach potential customers with their products and services. However, there is a lack of transparency among service providers and services in the field of search engine marketing, which is why the BVDW has set itself the task of separating the wheat from the chaff and creating an overview of qualified agencies and providers by introducing independent certificates and codes of conduct. Blackbit was able to shine with a comprehensive application as an agency for online marketing specialising in search engine advertising and was therefore awarded the extraordinary "SEA Quality Certificate".

Success with strategy: search engine advertising and inbound marketing

In these times of self-determined consumption, companies that want to win new customers and retain existing ones in the long term can no longer rely on blanket marketing measures. Instead, advertisers should focus on their customers and their needs: As part of an inbound marketing strategy, prospective customers are reached, convinced and thus become customers thanks to target group-specific content. Search engine advertising is an effective tool for drawing the attention of potential customers to this content: thanks to algorithms, the adverts are displayed in the right context and network, which leads to users clicking on them more often and staying on the target page for longer due to their greater relevance. With the help of AdWords and Bing Ads, specific content is displayed in the form of convincingly designed adverts in text, image or video form and displayed according to the user's search queries. As soon as sufficient traffic has been directed to the target pages (website, blog and shop), the full effect of inbound marketing can unfold.

Create clarity: The certificates and codes of conduct of the BVDW

The BVDW has been representing the interests of digital companies in Germany for over 20 years and is committed to greater market transparency. However, the now extremely large number of SEO and SEA agencies makes it difficult to compare and therefore select qualified service providers: billing models and working methods are often opaque. Not only does this inhibit digital growth in general, but individual companies can also suffer economic damage as a result of poor advice. This is why the BVDW, together with representatives and experts from the digital economy, has developed quality certificates and codes of conduct to support companies in their selection of service providers by recognising competent and professional providers. The various codes of conduct represent an independent voluntary commitment by companies that agree to comply with the defined standards. In the area of search engine advertising, the Code of Conduct for Search Engine Advertising was developed to guarantee the quality of strategic advice and campaign support from SEA service providers. As a member of the BVDW and an expert agency for search engine advertising, we have naturally committed ourselves to this Code of Conduct.

This is what lies behind the SEA quality certificate for AdWords & Co.

With the increasing number of services in the field of search engine advertising and ever more complex technologies, providers are faced with the question of which SEA agencies really deliver what they promise. In order to receive the BVDW's SEA quality certificate, agencies are tested for professionalism and expertise as a service provider for search engine advertising on platforms such as AdWords and Bing Ads. An independent and very comprehensive application as well as first-class performance in all tested categories are prerequisites for being awarded the coveted certificate for one year. Customer surveys, project work and professional qualifications from previous years play an important role in the assessment. The certificate therefore offers companies a reliable guide when selecting a service provider. A neutral BVDW committee assesses the agency according to the following criteria (weighting in brackets):

• Experience criterion (20%): Market entry, fee distribution, agency spectrum, project business and employee structure
• Working method criter ion (40%): Service transparency and customer reference
• Customer satisfaction criterion (30%): Indication of five to eight companies
• Market engagement criterion (10%): Presentations at official events, publication of specialised articles or publications, SEA workshops for companies and professionals

Close cooperation with our clients and the use of advanced technologies for constantly optimised SEA campaigns characterise our comprehensive range of services for online retail. Our transparent and professional approach to search engine advertising has earned us the SEA certificate for 2018.

Small and medium-sized companies that want to get started in e-commerce need to familiarise themselves with the latest tools and proven methods for success such as inbound marketing - but they also need to use them to increase online sales. For sustainable results, companies can take their first steps into digital commerce together with a BVDW-certified SEA agency such as Blackbit.

Would you like to boost your online business with search engine advertising?