Basics of Search Marketing

Studies show that only the most motivated searchers review more than about two or three pages of search engine results. Consequently, if a site – which may provide exactly what the searcher is looking for, isn’t placed within the first 20-30 search engine results, more likely than not, the searcher won’t ever find the site. It’s easy to see why so many advertisers want to master AdWords, a standard part of any search engine marketing effort.

The basis of search engine marketing is simple: users search for specific information, and advertisers try to position their sites to capture those searchers who are most likely to view an provider’s site favorably. This influence can include a number of tactics designed to increase the attractiveness of a site and the number of site visitors. Search engine optimization (SEO), paid advertising, and paid inclusions in search engines are often used to influence an engine’s search results. SEO, inbound links from other sites, keywords, meta tags and other devices are designed to help the search engine recognize the relevance of a page or site. Paid advertising is designed to drive traffic to a site from a relevant search result. Paid inclusion puts an advertiser’s site at the top of the rankings for a defined period of time.

Unlike traditional advertising forms that enable only the largest and most wealthy retailers and service providers to maintain high visibility, search engine marketing enables niche providers, local advertisers and small retailers to rise to high visibility based upon the specific search criteria a user enters. A person looking for a specific product may want to know about retailers in his or her immediate area that carry the product in stock. Alternately, a searcher looking for a hard-to-find or niche product can zero in on the target immediately.

Search engine companies like Google and Yahoo! guard their search engine algorithms very carefully to prevent their search results from being manipulated unfairly. These companies walk a delicate line between their advertisers who naturally want the best possible search engine placement and their visitors who want to find what they’re looking for without being steered toward or away from the sites that can best help them.

Because the search algorithms are so carefully guarded, it is difficult to get precise information about how a search engine determines the relevance of its results to the search terms the user supplied. Search engines give general directions that indicate the best way to register pages and help their search engines evaluate a site’s content, but many people opt to find Google AdWords training to master AdWords and PPC advertising. The use of title tags, keywords, meta tags, relevant links and the overall traffic volume of a site can influence a search result. This approach, combined with paid advertising and paid inclusion can provide the best way to reach an advertiser’s target audience.

Notes for editors: Claire Jarrett is the managing director of Computer Training Solutions in Bristol, Solihull and Bracknell. She is a qualified AdWords Professional and high school teacher. Claire Jarrett offers AdWords Training DVDs call 0800 019 6882 for more details.

September 2010
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Basics of Search Marketing

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