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Why Search Engine Marketing is Important

Why is search engine optimization and search marketing important?

I Can Give You 134 Million Reasons.

Why should you care if you are listed in the search engines? There are 134 million reasons. That is how many people use the web each month. Over 85 percent of those people use search engines. Search Engines serve as an information clearinghouse to large majority of Internet users.

Search engine optimization is often referred to as internet public relations. High rankings in major search engines enhance the credibility and the brand awareness of your company, but this is not the only reason search engine optimization is important.

Major search engines have a job to do and it is to provide the most relevant information on terms searched for. In order to perform their jobs accurately they are programmed to take the path of least resistance when it comes to exact terms that users ask for.

There are two common ways to get listed in search engines. One is to use a pay-per-click search engine. The other is organic or natural search engine results. Utilizing both options are considered Search Engine Marketing.


Why is Search Engine Optimization Important?

When you consider that even the largest search engine index only contains 20% of the three billion web pages that reside on the Internet, it’s easier to understand how search engine optimization increases your chances of being found by your target audience. Without search engine optimization and proper search engine marketing your site will be as difficult to find to your prospective customers and clients as a needle in a haystack.


Build it and they will Come: Can you really afford to take that risk?

While professional search engine marketing is not cheap, it’s important to understand it’s one of the most vital marketing weapons available to those who wish to use the Internet as a vehicle to create and increase their business. It’s a myth to think that just because you build a website the visitors will just show up. It takes work, consider investing in search engine optimization in order to draw the traffic into you rather than your competitors.

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Measuring Your Marketing

I’m always amazed at how many companies spend money marketing, but don’t measure the results. When you don’t measure and analyze the results, you might as well throw money out the door. The measurement of marketing efforts will help you in seeing what messages attract new consumers to purchase your products. It allows you to see what methods in marketing work and which ones don’t.

My famous line to businesses is “If you aren’t measuring, you are not marketing.” It really is that simple. Monitoring your marketing spend does not have to be difficult. For example consider the following options:

Marketing online? Use website analytics that show you what traffic is visiting your website and where they are coming from. This will show you what search terms they are searching for and finding you. You can also use this information to gauge whether or not you need to write more information on a specific topic, service or product. Online analytics provide you with real-time data – this is invaluable to any business that is spending money to market using the internet.

Marketing using television commercials? The first thing you must identify is your call to action. Are you driving them to a website url or are you asking them to call you? Perhaps it’s both. If you are driving them to a url, make sure you use a designated url that has analytics installed. This will help you gauge the online response of your commercial. If you are asking them to call you, use a specific telephone number so you can gauge how many telephone inquiries you get and how many of those inquiries result in a sale.

Marketing using a radio spot? This is a little more difficult, first of all if you are driving them to a url again make sure it is a designated url specific to the radio promotion. The same is true if you are asking them to call. You again want to make sure that you are using a designated telephone number that you can use to measure incoming calls.

These are just some of the examples and methods you can use to measure your marketing efforts. By understanding what marketing is working you can allocate more money to those methods and diminsh the money you are spending on methods that are not working for you.

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Marketing Predictions

I’ve gone out on a limb and I’ve put my feet to the fire. I’m not psychic nor do I have a crystal ball, but I’ve made predictions regarding how we will market in 2010 compared to the last decade.

I’ve shared my insights on the methods I see phasing out and I’ve stepped out in confidence regarding the methods I think will soar and bring great rewards to businesses that embrace them in the next decade. If you are curious as to where I think we are headed in 2010 and the decade following check out my marketing predictions at About.com

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