Search Engine Marketing
 This
is the process of marketing a web site via search
engines, whether this be improving rank in organic
(natural) listings, purchasing paid listings or a
combination of these and other search engine-related
activities.
The concept behind Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is
quite simple: when a consumer or business person searches
the Web, they are in “search” mode. This
mode is unique because it indicates that the person
is looking for information, usually of a direct or
indirect commercial nature. Marketers understand that
this “search” mode means that the searcher
may very well be somewhere in the buying cycle, researching
a product or service to try and satisfy an immediate
need or future need. That makes search engine results
some of the best sources of targeted traffic, whether
that traffic originates from "organic" unpaid
search listings or paid advertising listings.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) can deliver huge numbers
of qualified prospects to your website. But that's
just the first step. A comprehensive SEM campaign
should also aim to persuade prospects to take the
specific actions you want them to take. Your SEM campaign
should close the loop by providing metrics and analytics
to drive ongoing improvements that will net you the
highest possible online marketing ROI.
Search engine traffic is unique in the following ways:
| 1. |
Search engine traffic
is a non-intrusive means of Internet marketing.
Search is unique in tapping a searcher at the
exact moment they are seeking information, products
or a service. |
| 2. |
Search engine traffic results from
a deliberate, user-driven search. This means the
visitors from a search results link have not only
selected your listing from among others, but chose
the search query that resulted in your listing
being shown. |
| 3. |
Search engine traffic results from
a fixed inventory of searches. To truly qualify
as search engine traffic, the search must be one
that the searcher initiated as a search, either
by clicking a search link in a directory style
portal or by filling out a search query box. |
Organic (or Natural) listings.
When a user types a keyword or phrase into a search
engine, two kinds of results are returned: those that
have been paid for by advertisers, and those that are
natural. Natural search engine optimisation (also known
as organic search engine optimisation) is a specialised
technique that involves analysing your website's underlying
code, architecture and content (visible to the search
engines) and making enhancements so that your website
is returned prominently in the natural search results
of spider-based search engines (such as Google, MSN
etc). Organic listings combines the best practices of
technology, research & analysis, usability, copy/linguistics
and online PR. This is because many search engines base
their relevancy algorithms on a combination of the content
they see on a webpage or site, combined with external
elements such as links.
Paid listings.
Pay Per Click advertising (PPC) is a search engine marketing
technique that requires you to pay a fee every time
someone clicks to your website from an ad you've placed
in a search engine's results. The more you agree to
pay per click (or bid) for a specific keyword and the
more effective your ad, the higher your site will rank
in the paid search results. |
