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Originally uploaded by tmaemarketing

I thought that this was a funny depiction of how Google’s algorithm may work and is the second cartoon in our series. In reality, Google’s algorithm is very complex. At the heart of Google’s algorithm lies its Patented PageRank technology. Here is a fun fact taken directly from Google’s site http://www.google.com/corporate/tech.html:

PageRank Technology: PageRank reflects our view of the importance of web pages by considering more than 500 million variables and 2 billion terms. Pages that we believe are important pages receive a higher PageRank and are more likely to appear at the top of the search results.

For more information on Google’s search technology, check out the WikiPedia entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PageRank.

If your company hasn’t felt the pinch of a slowing economy yet, you are one of the lucky few.  However for many businesses, the onset of a recession has led businesses looking for more cost effective ways of getting their message to their target market without breaking the bank. 

Businesses are side-stepping this recession by bringing their products and services online, where the cost of maintaining a website is only a fraction of what other mediums charge.  But having a website is only half the battle. If you do not market online or do so in a limited capacity, you should consider reexamining your integrated marketing campaign to include allocations for search engine marketing.  Ideally this would include both search engine advertising and search engine optimization. 

Let’s first consider search engine advertising.  According to IDC analysts (www.idc.com), online advertising grew 27 percent in 2007 and is unlikely to be affected by a continuing downturn in the economy.  What’s even more encouraging is the number of adverting dollars spent during the fourth quarter of 2007 which topped “$7.3 billion for the fourth quarter of 2007, about 28 percent more than the same period in 2006….” IDC findings continued.   Given these overwhelming statistics, it becomes apparently clear that online advertising is growing despite a recession.  The reason for this is simple.  It gets results! 

Let’s turn our attention to search engine optimization.  The good news is that if you have a website, you already have one key component.  The bad news is that it’s unlikely “search engine optimized” unless you or somebody else properly optimized the website for search engines.

Thankfully, there are numerous resources and companies that have considerable experience in this growing field.  However, buyers should be aware that not all search engine marketing firms or individuals are the same.  In fact, search engine giant Google warns against hiring a “search engine optimizer” that uses unethical practices to manipulate search results and, in addition, has a search engine advertising certification process.

The process of search engine marketing can vary greatly depending on the skill of the agency or individual.  For example, properly search engine optimizing a website will involve researching the right keywords to integrate into the website along with a strong linking campaign that will favorably increase the likelihood of being found for those keywords. 

In short, every business should have a search engine marketing plan.  Ideally, the search engine marketing plan should encompass the company’s business model, objectives, and return on investment goals. This will lay the foundation for how much visitor traffic and search engine optimization is required to meet the above goals.  One last point to keep in mind is that the internet is a dynamically changing landscape that never sleeps.  Search engines are constantly innovating and competitors are hungry.  What might be working today may not be working tomorrow.  Have a solid search engine marketing plan backed by a qualified agency or individual to manage the plan and your business will reap the benefits at your competitor’s expense.

I have always found humor in how things sometimes get their name. For instance, do you know what the difference is between an herb and a spice? Do you the people that know the difference say, “Hey honey, can you pick me up some spices at the store?”

In any regard, I’ve always struggled with the notion of search engine marketing (SEM) actually being labeled “marketing” when most companies/professionals refer to it as search engine optimization and pay per click advertising. These alone are great mediums for marketing products and services, however, aren’t enough when you consider all the elements that are involved in really marketing online.

Developing solid search engine marketing strategies involves more than a process of getting high search rankings and managing a pay per click budget. To really market and be successful online, you need to know your customers and how your company’s offerings will solve their problems. Once these important questions are answered, they need to be communcated in a way that not online increases traffic, but also communicates how the company competes, the kind of demographic that uses their products, and how to get them. These are done in a variety of ways:

• Web Design & Development- you website needs to look in keeping or better than its competitors as consumers re savvy and will likely shop around before making a decision. It should present a compelling story that answers “Why should i buy from you.” Additionally, your website should include vital information that makes it easy to understand how to purchase or get in touch with your company.

• Website Content- your website content is the voice of your company and should be written in a way that communicates value to your target market. This is definitely not as easy as it sounds, as web objectives do vary company to company. As a general rule of thumb, starting from the end result you want is a good point of reference. For instance, a technical company that markets to electrical engineers may want to place more emphasis on finding spec sheets so that they can determine if your products fits their specifications.

• Interactive Features- using a video or a flash demo can do wonders for waking up a website and make it convert. Those companies that offer complex products and services usually benefit the most out of these features since consumers are increasingly demanding easier ways to disseminate information.

To put it clearly, i don’t deny search engine marketing as a marketing practice. However, achieving high rankings or buying keyword traffic alone is only a component to the above equation. To really be successful, fundamental marketing principles apply. Use you website as a tool for your target audience and you’ll reap all the benefits of what search engine marketing as to offer.