"Surveys show that over 85% of internet users find new Web
sites by using search-engines. Other surveys show that after email,
search-engines are the most popular activity on the web."
The undeniable popularity and efficiency of utilizing search-engines to
find products or services demands that a business develop an effective
search-engine marketing strategy. Unlike e-mail advertising or banner
placements on high-traffic websites like YAHOO, MSN, or AOL,
search-engine traffic tends to be highly qualified since the content of
your website determines your ranking - therefore, you have the ability
to control the kind of traffic that is generated from search-engines.
Where else can you capture
a consumer in mid-stream of thought, researching or comparing; already thinking about your
specific product or service(s) need?
One of the primary components of an effective search-engine marketing
strategy is a well-managed Paid Search-Engine Marketing program. An
equally important strategy for increasing quality website traffic,
sales, and leads is through Search-Engine Optimization techniques.
PPC or Paid search engines offer instant click traffic, completely side stepping the lengthy and sometimes archaic process of optimizing sites for the search engines (SEO). In addition, Paid Listings allow you to iteratively optimize your site for your "human visitors" and not just optimize for those machine algorithms that really spider your site.
Wait, you say…too good to be true! Of course, we agree. After having spent countless hours and recovering from every search related situation imaginable in the Pay-Per-Click and SEO game, we have to say the promise is there, but someone must be willing to do the work. We’ve done the set-up work over and over again for clients from Doctors, Lawyers, Manufacturers, Service Providers, travel companies etc. You’ve probably tried to read all the SEO-Search books ever printed, and keep up with all the latest Search blogs, but it’s not enough and we can help!
If it makes you feel better, our SimpleSEM Search specialists hang out in many popular SEO/SEM chat forums dedicated to Pay-Per-Click and SEO topics, that way you don’t have too! We’ll let you know what emerging product and search trends are on the horizon before your competition does.
In other words we eat, breathe, and sleep Search Engine Marketing. So Listen Up…
So What is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)?
Search Engine Optimization - Wikipedia Definition, or SEO: "Is a set of methodologies aimed at improving the ranking of a website in search engine listings."
To determine rankings a search engine, like Google, uses a software algorithm to establish specifically where on its pages of results a website should be listed.
A similar strategy can be applied to directories. Directories, like Yahoo! Directory, use human editors to review sites to determine where they belong in search results and how relevant they are for keyword searches. Human "surfers" replace the search engine algorithm, and place sites into subject categories.
SEO relies completely on (re-)designing a web site to meet search engine criteria for ranking. While many search engine criteria can be met with site changes (i.e. keyword density), some, such as links from other sites, cannot.
What is PPC Advertising(Pay-Per-Click)?
With PPC (Pay-Per-Click) - Wikipedia Definition: "Is an advertising technique used on websites, especially search engines. Pay per click advertisements are usually text ads placed near search results; when a site visitor clicks on the advertisement, the advertiser is charged a small amount. Variants include pay for placement and pay for ranking. Pay per click is also sometimes known as Cost Per Click (CPC)." These engines include the Google Adwords Product, Yahoo Search Marketing, MSN Sponsored Listings/MSN Search, Ask, Miva Search, Looksmart, etc.
This listing is usually a written advertisement with a title and description.
Most search engines, particularly the large general engines, keep the paid listings separate from the organic listings with clearly marked "Sponsored" or "Featured" headings. The searcher then has the option of clicking on either type of result. In order to generate the most advertising dollars from these paid placements, search engines require the advertisement to be relevant to the search query in order to catch the searcher’s attention. This requirement also instills confidence in the search engine’s results.
Directories often mix the results of paid and unpaid submissions, although this practice is slowly being replaced by separating the two.
In contrast to PPC, Paid Inclusion, another form of Paid Placement, guarantees a listing in a directory or search results page, but does not guarantee ranking position. The advertiser pays for the listing to be shown whether the user clicks on the link or not. It is often used to ensure the listing is included sooner than the search engines re-indexing schedule. When paid inclusion (Yahoo! SMX) is tied to a search query, the web site listing may be intermixed with organic listings.
Sample Search Engine Advertisements:
Are you ready to reach over 90% of all Online Consumers, just look at where your advertisements will be seen!
Google Adsense: 
Google Adwords is a paid search-engine marketing product that allows businesses to reach people when they are actively looking and searching for information about particular products and services online. Google Adwords allows businesses to bid-for-placement on search queries (keywords) that specifically or broadly relate to a particular product or service of a business or website (see above) - in turn, advertisements are shown to potential customers that relate to that search query / product or service.
Similar to other paid search-engine marketing programs, Google Adwords uses a cost-per-click pricing model, which means that businesses are only charged for performance - in this case - a click. Many important factors go into whether or not a potential customer will click on a particular advertisement, including how well-written the advertisement is, the amount bid (cost-per-click) on each keyword listing, and the overall quality of the listing - Google calls this QI.
Google is the #1 search-engine in the world. According to a recent Media Metrix (2003) study, the Google Network reaches more than 80% of Internet users. The Google Network includes syndication relationships with premier search-engines, including America Online, Netscape.com, Lycos.com, AskJeeves, Earthlink.com, Compuserve.com, NewYorkTimes.com, Shopping.com and AT&T Worldnet, among others. What this means for a business is that by advertising on Google Adwords you are placing your products or services in front of up to 80% of all Internet users.
Yahoo!, Inc. recently purchased Overture® services and is arguably the most important paid search-engine marketing platform. Yahoo! offers businesses several opportunities to generate quality search-engine traffic, including Precision Match, Content Match, and the newly launched Local Match. Yahoo! allows you to control your position by the amount you bid on keywords. Set your own price-per-click and pay only when a customer clicks through to your site.
Advertising in Yahoo! Premium Listingsâ„¢ (the top three positions for a search term) enables businesses to appear on more search sites and reach 80% of active Internet users, while Classic Listings (<3rd position) reach only 40% of users. According to Nielsen/NetRatings (2002) the Yahoo! Search Network receives over 170 million highly targeted sales leads each month.
Top Yahoo! Search Marketing listings appear on Yahoo!, MSN, AltaVista.com, InfoSpace.com, CNN.com, Excite.com Go2Net, Juno, Netzero, Sympatico.ca, Dogpile.com, Metacrawler, We Crawler, AlltheWeb.com, and Microsoft Internet Explorer, among others.
MSN Search:
While most existing search engine services count the number of clicks your ad receives, it is important to also know as many demographics of those individuals clicking on your search ads. The in-depth reports revealing specific details about the audiences behind the clicks have either been unavailable or cost thousands of dollars to purchase from a third party source.
MSN believes audience data is essential to planning and maintaining successful search marketing. So MSN has taken search advertising to the next level by including MSN Search user in adCenter. Using the built-in, insightful reports, you will be able to see the profile of the MSN Search users clicking on your ad. You will also be able to determine the time of day and day of week when they are clicking. With this insight to online consumers, you can connect with your desired audience.
AOL:
We know it’s pretty complicated stuff, and each search engine seems different. The good news is that SimpleSEM has a team of search marketing professionals that will develop, implement, and manage all components of your paid search-engine marketing program.
For more information on how SimpleSEM can help your business increase market share through any of the search-engine marketing programs, please call 888-4-SEMADVICE.
