Understanding the basic structure of how search engines register Websites is crucial to succeed in search engine optimization (SEO).

One of the most effective web site promotion techniques is to refer to improvements and changes made to web pages so that they conform to the search criteria utilized by search engines for rank and position listings, taking into consideration criteria such as keyword frequency, prominence, weight and proximity, plus keyword placement within the HTML script.

They like "content rich" or thematic text (sufficient enough to support the primary keyword phrase) about your products/services.

In general it is actually not necessary to submit a Website as search engines will find it sooner or later, but achieving a higher ranking means a lot of work.  Often the optimization is an exercise performed by the search engine that determines how relevant the page is to a searcher's request, other times it is done by a firm specializing in search engine marketing.

The pay per placement engine market is a billion dollar industry and is a platform that requires so little set-up and capital investment that a multitude of firms have embraced it as a front-line marketing channel.  But as more and more companies sign up, the click costs have increase to meet the demand.

As with all other marketing tools this one isn’t without any pitfalls and obstacles, so you may wish to pay attention to the following advice:

  • Understand your objectives - the first is to identify your website objectives and tailor your traffic to achieve them.
  • Track your clicks - whether you own or adopt an advanced web analytics tool or simply add an affiliate code to the URLs submitted to the search engine you must make sure you track click activity against your objectives.  This is such an important factor that even engines themselves are starting to offer this service recognizing that accounting for click to conversion is a sure way to measure success.
  • Choose the right search engine(s) - don't be mistaken in thinking that all engines are equal; some are all-rounders, some are B2B focused and some are B2C focused.  Make sure you are aware of which one is most effective for you.
  • Choose the right words - make sure you take into account the selection of words and phrases you use.
  • Writing 'killer' creative – firstly, drive more qualified traffic, and secondly, reduce the amount of irrelevant clicks.  Make visitors qualify themselves before they even click the link by adding a call to action - such as buy, visit, compare, search - into your title and/or description which should prompt interest.  Qualify them further with relevant descriptions that include enough information to whet their appetite, yet, at the same time provide enough information to persuade a user who is uncertain whether they should or should not visit your Website.  Find out what buzz words your search engine recommends for your industry.
  • Manage your bids and placements - the biggest difference between paid search and any other type of search engine optimization is that you have to bid for your position.
  • Get to know the search engine distribution partners and where their listings are going.  Actually, the number of options available for managing bids is extensive - from doing it manually to buying a service to perform it for you.  It is definitely the missing link to many paid search campaigns and can mean the difference between success and failure.  Try to match conversion with costs and placement - can you get a better ROI from averaging in third position rather than first position?
  • Be aware of seasonality - at peak times in your industry a lot of business can be achieved online, at the same time you can bet that a large number of your competitors will also be aware of this so make sure you watch your bids very carefully.  Don't be afraid to change creatively, you can make adjustments quickly to turn around for seasonal trends and demand.
  • Choose the most appropriate landing page – just ask yourself the question when selecting the page “would you be happy if you'd searched for a product or service and then had to search for it a second time in the destination site?”

Now that I have explained the process a little bit more in depth, please do use the information provided to help you plan your campaign or fine tune your current campaign to get the most from your marketing dollars.  The pay-per-click search engine market is definitely a very competitive, efficient, and effective means of Internet marketing.  Understanding this market should give you the ability to turn search into an extremely profitable channel.

By Daniela La Marca