| You've just launched your new website (or | | | | different search terms and offers etc, and to |
| launched the redesign) and now you're sitting | | | | measure the results.Paid: DisadvantagesClicks |
| back waiting for the orders to roll in. But | | | | can be expensive. Bidding wars often |
| wait a minute, something's wrong... there | | | | erupt.You must keep paying for the clicks |
| don't seem to be any. It's as if your site | | | | every month. If your budget is ever cut, your |
| doesn't exist.Well, I hate to burst your | | | | listings will disappear, along with your |
| bubble, but unless you have either a well | | | | search engine traffic.Most people (research |
| publicised site or many websites linking to | | | | indicates between 60 and 80 percent) will |
| yours, you're going to have to rely on the | | | | click on the organic results rather than the |
| search engines. And if your site doesn't rank | | | | sponsored (paid) results.It requires a time |
| in the first three result pages, it's more | | | | investment to monitor and adjust listings on |
| than likely you won't be found at all.So... | | | | a constant basis, or budget to outsource this |
| you know what's coming next; that's right, | | | | activity.Listings are subject to editorial |
| you need a good dose of search engine | | | | acceptance. With SEO, you can state whatever |
| marketing (SEM) to make sure your site gets | | | | you like on your website (which is where the |
| listed on the search engines' results pages. | | | | search engines pull your page title and |
| Do this and the traffic to your website will | | | | description). But with PPC, editors insist |
| soon follow."Right", I hear you say. "Let's | | | | that all listings be factual and that you not |
| do some search engine marketing then..."Well | | | | compare your company with others. This means |
| that's certainly a good start! But first you | | | | that even if you are the "largest" provider, |
| have to work out your approach to maximise | | | | you can't state that.Now you know a bit about |
| your returns. Let's call this your search | | | | the advantages and disadvantages of both |
| engine marketing strategy. In order to create | | | | organic and paid search engine marketing, you |
| an effective strategy you need to understand | | | | must decide how to approach your online |
| a bit more about how search engine marketing | | | | marketing campaign.Organic marketing is |
| works. Currently, we can roughly-speaking | | | | probably best if:You want to spend some time |
| separate search engine marketing into two | | | | on search engine marketing upfront and have |
| different approaches:Organic: including | | | | it pay off in the future, on conceivably |
| search engine optimisation, links from other | | | | every search engine there is around the |
| websites and offline marketing.Paid: | | | | world.You have a budget to do some work now, |
| including pay per click, paid submission and | | | | and want to save money later on.Your site is |
| online advertising (banner ads).So to help | | | | fairly simple, without a lot of complicated |
| you further, I've listed below the advantages | | | | bells and whistles.You can afford to wait a |
| and disadvantages to each approach to SEM and | | | | month or two for results.You don't want to |
| outlined my recommendations.Organic: | | | | have to manage or maintain anything on a |
| AdvantagesThe majority of the work behind | | | | daily, weekly or monthly basis.Paid |
| search engine optimisation (SEO) is a one-off | | | | advertising may be for you if:You want to get |
| activity, and so is usually charged out at a | | | | up-and-running quickly.You have a promotion |
| set upfront fee.The changes made to your | | | | where you want to be able to turn a PPC |
| website will probably still be relevant and | | | | campaign on and off.You want to be able to |
| driving traffic to your site a year from | | | | test search terms, products or offers and |
| now.Credibility: most people (research | | | | quickly see results.Your site is search |
| indicates between 60 and 80 percent) will | | | | engine-unfriendly and you don't want to |
| click on the organic results rather than the | | | | invest in changing it.You're confident you'll |
| sponsored (paid) results.If you rank well in | | | | have the budget to spend for the long haul, |
| one of the major search engines (Google/Yahoo | | | | and you have time to maintain positions on a |
| MSN), you will most likely show up in the | | | | regular basis.Of course many companies and |
| majority of the search engines | | | | businesses tackle both organic and paid SEM |
| worldwide.Organic: DisadvantagesChanges must | | | | at the same time, and this is what I would |
| be made to your website's code. Normally the | | | | typically recommend to maximally attract |
| changes are invisible to visitors. However, | | | | qualified traffic to a website.If you are |
| if you have invested heavily in a search | | | | currently designing your site, or redesigning |
| engine-unfriendly site, the process can be | | | | an existing one, make sure your developer |
| time-consuming and costly; and occasionally | | | | knows how to create search engine optimised |
| significant changes may need to be made to | | | | code or is working closely with a SEO |
| your site's copy, navigation or design. Of | | | | consultant. Getting it right from the |
| course ultimately, you'll see returns if you | | | | beginning will save you time and money in the |
| commit to the neccessary changes.Results | | | | long run. And it needn't cost a fortune |
| (rankings and traffic) start slowly. You will | | | | either if you tackle this upfrontIf you have |
| normally see results within 3-4 months.There | | | | an existing site you wish to optimise, you |
| can be no guarantee. As the search engines | | | | may have a hard decision to make if your |
| themselves have the final say, you can't | | | | current site is not search engine friendly. |
| predict how many rankings you'll get for a | | | | If your site has been built using extensive |
| particular search term or engine; nor can you | | | | use of frames or dynamic pages (your URL may |
| predict how much traffic you'll get to your | | | | look like: the cost to rectify these |
| site.Paid: AdvantagesPay per click (PPC) | | | | problems can be discouraging. If this is the |
| advertising programs are fast to implement. | | | | case, now may be the time to seriously |
| It usually takes two to three weeks to set up | | | | consider redesigning your site earlier than |
| and run. Google AdWords are up-and-running as | | | | you'd planned.Either way, the use of a small |
| soon as you start the campaign, and Overture | | | | paid (pay per click) advertising campaign |
| listings are live within 3-5 business days | | | | before optimisation can be a great way to |
| (after an editor reviews them).Nothing has to | | | | nail down those essential keywords to use |
| change on your web site, although I would | | | | throughout your site's copy by recording |
| recommend you create targeted landing pages | | | | which keywords customers respond to the most |
| for each advertisement as they've been proven | | | | in your campaign.David Crowther is the |
| to increase conversions (but that's another | | | | director of NerveCentral, whose mission is |
| subject for another time!).There is no limit | | | | simple: to maximise its clients business and |
| to the number of terms or keyword phases you | | | | profit through the web. We have provided web |
| can bid on.PPC is good if you intend to run | | | | solutions for many organisations and small |
| promotions through your site, as you can turn | | | | companies, including well-known corporates |
| the PPC campaign on and off whenever you | | | | such as Thomson Travel Group, Q8, Edding, |
| choose.You can dictate where the listing | | | | GlaxoSmithKline, Galderma, and Hertz. |
| appears on the result's page (within the | | | | Download our free report 5 (Often Missed) |
| sponsors' ads area) and determine what the ad | | | | Usability Tips for your Website to Increase |
| says.It's very easy to test all your | | | | Profit now! |