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What is Search Engine Marketing?
by Michael Hargrove
If you are a website owner, you already understand the importance
of keywords and advertising in search engines. In order to
make sales, websites must use the latest advertising technology
geared toward the internet. These methods include search engine
optimization and search engine advertising (pay per click)
and are necessary for success in any online venture. Together
they are known as search engine marketing.
Search engine optimization consists of a variety of techniques
to increase the rankings of a website in search engines. Search
engines base rankings on a number of factors that determine
relevance of a site and where they will go in their search
results. The search engines use spider programs which search
out websites and, using algorithms designed by the search
engines, gather all sorts of information from the website.
Some considerations in the algorithms consist of things like
age of site, how often the site is updated, content, links,
and many other things. Search engine giant Google uses PageRank
to measure sites, with 10 being the highest ranking which
is given to very few sites. If your site has a 4 or 5, that’s
pretty good.
Search Engine advertising or Pay per Click advertising is
another tool used in search engine marketing. By advertising
directly with the search engines, a site will be given higher
ranking in search results. Search engine marketing also gives
exposure to a site based on content, so the site appears in
search engines when users are looking for a particular product
or keyword. This targeted searching and advertising is dominating
consumer spending. In 2003, $2.5 billion in sales came from
search results, and that number is expected to grow 25 percent
this year to $3.2 billion.
Employing these methods of Search engine marketing will increase
your sites visibility in the search results. Both parties
win using search engines. For advertisers using the best techniques
of SEO, they will gain visitors who are looking for their
specific products or services. When their business is put
into the search engine, visitors are more likely to visit
the site specifically for their services. Research also shows
that when visitors come to a site through a search engine,
they are typically more motivated to buy.
There are much more to these techniques than listed above.
Search engine optimization itself is very detailed and complicated.
To truly optimize your site, it is important to hire editors
who specialize in SEO. And advertising too requires knowledge
of the industry. It is very important to follow the search
engines guidelines to the letter to avoid being penalized.
A company that provides exclusive search marketing services
will do everything from keyword selection to monthly maintenance.
About The Author
This article was written by Michael Hargrove of Web Submission
Services as an informational piece for website owners. Please
visit Web Submission Services for more information about exclusive
search marketing services, http://www.internetmarketingwebsites.com/marketing-service.htm
and search engine optimization, http://www.internetmarketingwebsites.com/optimization-service.htm.
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