So many online journeys, consumer and otherwise, begin with a search engine. So, naturally, the data stemming from those searches offers incredible value to marketers. This single data stream may be the most comprehensive and illuminating source of information you'll find anywhere online — digital marketers can't afford to ignore the opportunity it represents.

The value of search data isn't restricted to applications within those search engines themselves. Marketers can pull that data and use it to retarget consumers on other channels as well. Search retargeting uses past search activity to display ads on other platforms, including Facebook and other display ad networks. Search Engine Journal explains it is an important component of your marketing strategy.

Retargeting is an effective strategy for brands looking to recapture interested consumers and pursue transactions that were abandoned before they could be completed. When properly deployed, it offers incredible value.

Programmatic advertising is a hot topic in digital marketing these days, with ad spending expected to reach $22 billion this year, according to eMarketer — that's nearly a 40 percent increase from last year. But, according to an IAB report cited by Econsultancy, only 45 percent of people who use programmatic advertising actually understand the concept behind it. Here's the vital information on programmatic advertising and how to approach your creative in these campaigns.

What Is Programmatic Advertising?

Essentially, programmatic advertising is a data-driven, automatic approach to media buying that allows for hyper-personalized targeting with agile messaging across all paid advertising. It dramatically reduces the margin of human error and the labor-intensive process of media buying and replaces them with technology-based techniques that target the right customer with the right ad at the right time.

Seeing a spike in online traffic might put a smile on your face, but unless you know how to get consumers past the click, this joy will prove fleeting. Here are some tips on increasing conversions.

Find Them on Facebook

With 1.13 billion active daily users, Facebook is not only an effective way to reach your potential customers, it's also an efficient way of driving conversions. With the data the company has access to, it's possible to target your reach to specific locations (e.g., ZIP codes or geo-fences) and purchase behaviors. Be sure to create a Facebook Pixel to place on your own website so you can retarget audiences.

Weather-based marketing is a powerful tool when it comes to capitalizing on consumer behavior that changes with the weather.

The days of only being able to get the weather forecast on the TV, radio, or in the newspaper before heading to work are long gone. Now consumers have a variety of ways to check the weather, including weather sites online, real-time weather apps or local news apps.

Mobile now accounts for nearly one-third of all e-commerce sales, as InternetRetailer notes — and recent reports state that consumers check the weather on their mobile phones multiple times a day. Real-time mobile engagement gives you a great opportunity to capitalize on hyper-local geotargeted ads that can be changed as often as the weather.

More than 90 percent of retail sales happen offline, as Marketing Land notes, but much of today's shopping journey happens online. Thankfully, lift studies that link online behavior with in-store visits are becoming more readily available. These metrics allow you to measure in-store visits driven by your mobile ad campaign to learn precisely how well it's performing.

Previously, it was a challenge to link online ad exposure to offline sales, but with mobile's geolocation data, vendors — who serve mobile ads — can measure the number of customers who visit a retail location after seeing said mobile ad. For instance, Facebook offers location-based awareness ads that show stores "near me," and offer calls-to-action such as "directions" or "call." Now those ad reports include a store visits metric, which enables you to see how many people came to your retail location after seeing your Facebook ad and analyze results across multiple locations — but there are many ways to crunch the numbers.

Even if you're familiar with the general concept of retargeting, you may wonder what search retargeting is, specifically. According to Econsultancy, search retargeting is different from site retargeting as it allows marketers to serve display ads to consumers who recently searched for specific keywords related to their business.

For instance, if a marketer aims to boost a locally owned hotel in Atlanta, they could use searches for "cheap hotel in Atlanta," "travel to Atlanta" and "flights to Atlanta" to serve ads to those potentially considering a trip to the area.

Although the concept behind search retargeting is simple, this marketing tool is far more valuable than you may initially expect.

If your customers are like most people, they have their smartphones on them throughout the purchase process. With a good mobile search strategy, you can focus on them when it matters most — when they're nearby. A killer mobile strategy will turn smartphones into your best influencers and lead customers right to your door. First, you want to be sure your website has a responsive design to optimize it for mobile. Then, you can get on to the good stuff: building your mobile-centric search strategy.

Give the People What They Want

Searches that happen on cell phones, so-called "mobile-centric" searches, are a powerful way to gain customer insight. By looking at the mobile-centric searches for your category or brand, not only will you learn what people are searching for when they find you, you'll know where they are when they're looking — at home, on the street or right in your store. Taken altogether, this data can give you critical information about what your customers want. Whether it's an address, a phone number, or a special deal, be sure your ads are tailored to provide that information.

Digital advertising changes, but concerns around brand safety remain at the top of ad buyers' minds. According to eMarketer, 26 percent of brands purchasing digital ad space cited brand safety as their top concern when choosing where and how to advertise, underscoring the need to provide assurances to those consumers.

Those companies are fortunate that brand safety solutions on digital ad exchanges make it possible to avoid much of the online advertising space that might be a poor fit for their campaign. But don't take an ad network's word for it — every company should know what features can ensure brand safety and protect ad content from potentially damaging associations.

The banner ad creation process can be intense. After creating eye-catching graphics, A/B split testing different calls-to-action and even working on device optimization, it's easy to feel like you've finished the job once the perfect banner ad finally comes together. But, in some respects, the journey is just beginning, as even the most perfect banner ad won't be very effective if it doesn't reach the right audience. Fortunately, there are some banner ad best practices to get the ball rolling after the ad creation phase.

Adweek reported that 80 percent of digital ads are ignored, and 63 percent of millennials use ad-blocking software to eliminate display ads from their browsers entirely. Even worse, Google's Rich Media Gallery shows that, of those who can see ads, only 0.18 percent will ever click on them. To put that in perspective, you're more likely to be audited by the IRS or be born with an extra finger or toe than ever click on a banner ad, according to statistics from SheKnows.

It's easy to see why marketers may want to move away from banner ads. However, click-through rate isn't the only indicator of success, and abandoning banner ads based on these statistics could be a big mistake.