Further action is required to make this featured image accessible
The below criteria must be satisfied:
- Add featured-image alt tag (in page properties OR on image metadata in the dam)
The image will not display until the issue above is resolved.
UC Students Aim for High Click Count in Google Online Marketing Challenge
With a $250 budget from Google, a group of undergraduate students in the Carl H. Lindner College of Business are developing an online advertising strategy for a local business in hopes of winning Googles Online Marketing Challenge.
Lindner Honors-PLUS students Sean Cox, BBA 15 (marketing); Bhavik Modi, BBA 15 (finance); Stephanie Neiheisel, BBA 15 (marketing); Peter Schmidt, BBA 15 (finance); and Jack Wells, BBA 15 (accounting); along with advisor Dong-Gil Ko, associate professor of information systems in the Lindner College of Business, are among 50,000 students from more than 100 countries participating in the contest.
The three-week campaign measures the success of Google AdWords, which are ads that students create to appear beside Google search results based on team-selected keywords Internet surfers would use to search for information. When Internet users click the ad, a link connects them to a business that can potentially translate into a new customer.
Each ad click taps into the team budget. Google uses a cost per click method of payment, says team captain Modi. So every time someone clicks on our ad, we pay a certain price.
As the ads run through the three-week cycle, market variables are adjusted. We constantly adjust keywords, pricing, and ads to make sure we get optimum results, Modi says.
The team of five students partnered with Kings Sports LLC, a local baseball tournament management company in Maineville, Ohio, to promote the business in a three-week Google Ads campaign that began in March and ends April 16.
Small businesses often dont have access to the same resources that major corporations use to market their products, so an online platform such as AdWords helps place them on equal footing, says Modi.
After the three-week campaign, the team submits a report to be judged by Googles Global Academic Panel. Team success is measured by clicks, impressions (how many times ads are shown), keyword search relevance, budget allocation over three weeks and click through ratio (clicks divided by impressions).
To date, the team boasts 223 clicks, a number higher than regional winners from last year, Modi says.
With 16 percent of the remaining budget and four days left in the challenge, our average position is No. 2 on all search results related to our business, which is incredibly high considering our limited budget, he says.
Results will be available in July. Winner of the competition receives an all expense paid trip to Google headquarters in San Francisco to meet with executives.
Related Stories
Lindner Business Fellows learn value of networking, personal...
January 15, 2025
Students from the Carl H. Lindner College of Business’ Business Fellows program traveled to Atlanta during the break between fall and spring semesters to connect with alumni, network with top companies and see all that the city has to offer.
Transatlantic student exchange fosters global learning
January 13, 2025
The Kao Corporation’s innovative partnership with the University of Cincinnati’s 1819 Innovation Hub has expanded globally, thanks to a unique student exchange program involving top academic institutions in the U.S. and Germany.
Alumni to be honored at gala recognizing UC Black excellence
January 13, 2025
Outstanding achievements within the University of Cincinnati family are the focus of the 11th annual Onyx & Ruby Gala, to be hosted by the UC Alumni Association’s African American Alumni Affiliate on Feb. 22 at Great American Ball Park in downtown Cincinnati.