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Search Engine Marketing
Paid Search Advertising
So, with the organic optimization, you have identified the industry-relevant keywords that help your users find your site. Purchasing these keywords on search engines such as Yahoo! and Google is referred to as Paid Search Advertising. This is where the red areas in the graphic below come into play. You pay for the keyword, so that when it is searched on in the search engine, your Web address will come up in the paid search areas of the search return page. These keywords can cost anywhere from $.01 to $3.00, but you only pay when a user clicks on the ad. Note that the keyword price is based on competition for the keyword. It is a very good idea to use the budget features on the Google and Yahoo! Paid Search interfaces so that you are sure to stay within your budget guidelines. Be ready and willing to adjust your budget and make sure you research early and often which keywords are working and which are not.
According to onestate.com’s February 2004 report:
- 500 to 5,000 keywords are needed for a successful campaign.
- 81% of users enter more than one word when searching. 49% enter three words or more, and the number of searchers using keyword terms of three or more is growing every month.
Online Advertising
Affiliate marketing opportunities, also known as online advertising, exist on many Web sites. This is often an attractive solution in industries where the keyword search market is very congested and keywords are cost-prohibitive. Banners are created, much like miniature billboards, and placed strategically online for maximum exposure (see the purple box below). Several ad server companies exist, but Double Click () is the most widely known and used. Your ad will link to a specific “landing page,” which is a special Web page specifically targeting the user that highlights the theme of your banner ad. This is where design meets usability. It’s a winning combination!
Monthly review of Web statistics
One final note in any Search Engine Optimization tactic is the importance of reviewing Web statistics and search engine rankings monthly. Your hosting provider can make sure that Web tracking software is installed on your server and provide you with access to reports regarding who is visiting your Web site, where they are visiting from and which pages they visited. Google Analytics () is another powerful tool you can use for statistics tracking as well.
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