Search Marketing

Consumers frequently utilize search marketing indirectly, which is to say they enter search terms into an engine without considering how those terms will impact an individual site’s ranking. While search marketing is an enormously important part of online marketing, for consumers the most important aspect is the end result. If they see a website which offers the services or products they are seeking, they will stop searching. If they don’t, they will continue to click through website search results, or enter additional terms in order to find specifically what they are seeking.

Essentially, consumers do not place nearly the emphasis or calculation into search marketing that advertisers or small businesses do, but they still make use of the basic technology. Consumers often have a somewhat specific notion of what it is they would like to find; when the first search results do not display what they are after, they may concoct more elaborate terms, adding information into their search to try and pull out a more specific result.

For advertisers and marketers attempting to formulate the perfect search marketing strategy, anticipating how consumers will react with a search engine is perhaps the most difficult part of keyword formulation and ‘tail-terms.’ Tail-terms, which are defined as those terms that are likely to follow the most popular keywords, grow in complexity and can encompass a much wider frame of reference. Consumers may choose to concoct bizarre tail terms according to their own personal way of visualizing a product or service.

Search marketing for consumers is therefore a highly individual experience. A consumer attempts to match the picture that is in his or her head to what displays on the screen. By adding, subtracting, or altering the search terminology, the consumer gradually finds what it is he or she is seeking. However, from the perspective of the advertiser or business owner, effective search marketing requires that all potentially lucrative search terms are anticipated and properly channeled to the company website.

While there is no anticipated surge in consumers attempting to read up on the finer points of search marketing, consumers ultimately are interacting with the effects of the strategy each time they open up their browser window and perform a search. Search marketing, like second hand smoke, affects the consumer without them necessarily playing a direct role. Advertisers and business owners owe it to themselves to understand the psychology of likely visitors when formulating their search marketing strategy.

What did Google do to local search and the organic listings?

By now you have probably noticed the dramatic difference in the way that Google is displaying the listing for local search. No longer do we see the map and the traditional Google 7 pack on the left of the search engine results listings. Now the map is pushed to the right where the top paid search or sponsored links used to be. And the top local listings are occupying the spot where the top organic listings were. Here is a screen shot of one search I did today. And there are only three “organic” listing on the page at all where there used to be ten.

Clearly Google is confirming that local search is very important and signaling to local service providers and brick and mortar stores that they should pay serious attention to their local listings and making sure the local listing is optimized.

What are the implication for paid search or sponsored listings and traditional SEO?

It may be too early to tell but I think that if you want to be found but do not have a physical address in a certain city you will need to use paid search to get seen there. Yes Google Places will allow you to define a radius for a service provider but the competition for space may make that irrelevant.

SEO will continue to be important for broad reach such as regional reach or national reach. Searches done without a geo identifier do not show the Google Places listing but rather still show the traditional ten organic listings and sponsored listings in the way that we have been familiar with them.

We will keep watching this development. But meanwhile look to optimizing your local listings or see your site fall from page one of the search engines.

Online Marketing: A Three Part Strategy

Online marketing for small businesses can be as individual as the small business itself, but usually comprises three primary avenues that constitute a comprehensive strategy. The first method of online marketing is using direct marketing or paid search, such as Google AdWords or Pay Per Click Marketing, that targets specific keywords or allows a company to pay for a certain number of site visits.

The second method of online marketing is investing in frequently updated daily content that draws viewers to the site on a daily basis, usually through a ‘blog.’ The third avenue of online marketing is forming links or visible associations with other sites, through either direct press releases or other methods that cause a site to refer directly to the small business.

In order to produce good results with direct marketing, also known as paid search, small businesses need to consider geotargeting, choosing cost effective keywords to bid on, and keeping an eye on the bidding strategy so that the budget goes as far as possible. The second option of having a daily blog or featured interactive content is more cost-effective, and can also be a far savvier marketing tool. By creating original content specifically geared to the small business, a company can introduce new products, draw a loyal readership, and experiment with different techniques to increase page visits.

The third online marketing technique is in many a ways of combination of the first two. By increasing the number of links to a company’s website from other websites, the company will rank higher in the search results after a user enters search terms. The links that are formed, especially if they result from press releases or other original content, will create a virtually unlimited chain of additional references and links. New search terms may come to be associated with the small business, which will correspondingly boost the company’s website on search results.

No one method of online marketing on its own will produce an effective ad campaign. Rather, online marketing is a careful balance of these three primary avenues. Individual businesses will have to experiment with allocating the ideal percentage of their marketing budget to produce the desired amount of web traffic and corresponding publicity and business.

Online marketing is not a static strategy, but rather one that must constantly adapt to changing input. By carefully analyzing the analytics associated with a website, a company can make these adjustments in their campaign.

Google Gives Us A Hint

Have you ever wanted to see inside the Google brain and figure out how to use their ideas and algorithims to get your site ranking on the search engines keywords. Google is giving us a hint with the Google wheel. It's kind of like mind mapping where you start with a central idea and go in many directions to see what is related and it can branch on and on.

I did a search for "google wonder wheel" and I get this. Google is showing us other keyword phrases that Google believes are relevant  and related for this search. Now we can see into the Goolge brain.

How can this help you get better ranking on the search engines? Well we know that when the Google spider crawls a web site it looks for keywords related to the description and they look for related keywords. This is called (sorry for the technical term) Latent Semantic Indexing. LSI will help your web pages rank better simply because the search engines will understand them better. So if you want to improve your ranking on the web crawler try looking into the Google brain with the Google wonder wheel.

I wanted to give you an example of this at work so I created a Google wonder wheel  for the search term "ranking on the search engines. Look back in this post to see the use of the other related terms that google gives me. Just weave LSI terms in where they work in your writings and the search engines will respond by ranking your site higher.

To find the Google wonder wheel just click on More after a search. and choose the Wonder Wheel from the list on the left.

Web Marketing Versus Traditional Marketing Methods

Web marketing verses television or radio marketing

As the Internet continually advances into the everyday lives of millions of people all over the world, many businesses and organizations are steadily turning from the use of traditional forms of advertising, such as television and radio, to more advanced advertising strategies in an effort to reach a more massive audience through the use of web marketing. While the traditional marketing mediums of television, radio and print still carry a great deal of significance, new technology and greater advancements in the world of global marketing have opened the doors to highly innovative and profitable Internet advertising designs and web marketing strategies. Following are just a few of the ways Internet marketing excels in the global marketing enterprise:

*Target Audience— Web marketing is much more effective than traditional advertising methods in reaching a target audience. While traditional marketing methods have the capability of targeting particular demographics, these methods simply cannot compare to the precision Internet marketing has upon audience targeting. Through a variety of innovative web marketing strategies, a business can accurately target even the smallest of audiences. Internet marketing has the potential to reach a multitude of target audiences all over the world.

*Measurability— Brand awareness is more difficult to measure with traditional advertising methods than it is with web marketing. While traditional marketing methods certainly have their benefits when it comes to branding, business owners are finding that web marketing provides a more measurable means of spending. It is important to know that every dollar put into the marketing of your product is spent wisely. Through the use of Internet marketing, you are able to see the results of your marketing efforts than you are with traditional advertising methods. Web marketing allows you to see accurate facts and details regarding the results of your spending.

*Constant Source of Advertising— In contrast to radio or television, web marketing allows for a constant source of advertising. When a potential customer sees or hears an advertisement for your product on the television or radio, it only provides a brief impression and source of information. With Internet marketing, potential customers are provided with a way to view your advertisement for a longer period of time and gain information through a permanent online address that can be visited anytime the customer needs information about your business or product. Through web marketing, your business receives consistent and permanent advertising.

Web Marketing Versus Traditional Marketing Methods

Web marketing verses television or radio marketing

As the Internet continually advances into the everyday lives of millions of people all over the world, many businesses and organizations are steadily turning from the use of traditional forms of advertising, such as television and radio, to more advanced advertising strategies in an effort to reach a more massive audience through the use of web marketing. While the traditional marketing mediums of television, radio and print still carry a great deal of significance, new technology and greater advancements in the world of global marketing have opened the doors to highly innovative and profitable Internet advertising designs and web marketing strategies. Following are just a few of the ways Internet marketing excels in the global marketing enterprise:


*Target Audience— Web marketing is much more effective than traditional advertising methods in reaching a target audience. While traditional marketing methods have the capability of targeting particular demographics, these methods simply cannot compare to the precision Internet marketing has upon audience targeting. Through a variety of innovative web marketing strategies, a business can accurately target even the smallest of audiences. Internet marketing has the potential to reach a multitude of target audiences all over the world.


*Measurability— Brand awareness is more difficult to measure with traditional advertising methods than it is with web marketing. While traditional marketing methods certainly have their benefits when it comes to branding, business owners are finding that web marketing provides a more measurable means of spending. It is important to know that every dollar put into the marketing of your product is spent wisely. Through the use of Internet marketing, you are able to see the results of your marketing efforts than you are with traditional advertising methods. Web marketing allows you to see accurate facts and details regarding the results of your spending.


*Constant Source of Advertising— In contrast to radio or television, web marketing allows for a constant source of advertising. When a potential customer sees or hears an advertisement for your product on the television or radio, it only provides a brief impression and source of information. With Internet marketing, potential customers are provided with a way to view your advertisement for a longer period of time and gain information through a permanent online address that can be visited anytime the customer needs information about your business or product. Through web marketing, your business receives consistent and permanent advertising.

On line marketing For Small Business

Online Marketing: A Three Part Strategy

Online marketing for small businesses can be as individual as the small business itself, but usually comprises three primary avenues that constitute a comprehensive strategy. The first method of online marketing is using direct marketing or paid search, such as Google AdWords or Pay Per Click Marketing, that targets specific keywords or allows a company to pay for a certain number of site visits. The second method of online marketing is investing in frequently updated daily content that draws viewers to the site on a daily basis, usually through a ‘blog.’ The third avenue of online marketing is forming links or visible associations with other sites, through either direct press releases or other methods that cause a site to refer directly to the small business.

In order to produce good results with direct marketing, also known as paid search, small businesses need to consider geotargeting, choosing cost effective keywords to bid on, and keeping an eye on the bidding strategy so that the budget goes as far as possible. The second option of having a daily blog or featured interactive content is more cost-effective, and can also be a far savvier marketing tool. By creating original content specifically geared to the small business, a company can introduce new products, draw a loyal readership, and experiment with different techniques to increase page visits.

The third online marketing technique is in many a ways of combination of the first two. By increasing the number of links to a company’s website from other websites, the company will rank higher in the search results after a user enters search terms. The links that are formed, especially if they result from press releases or other original content, will create a virtually unlimited chain of additional references and links. New search terms may come to be associated with the small business, which will correspondingly boost the company’s website on search results.

No one method of online marketing on its own will produce an effective ad campaign. Rather, online marketing is a careful balance of these three primary avenues. Individual businesses will have to experiment with allocating the ideal percentage of their marketing budget to produce the desired amount of web traffic and corresponding publicity and business. Online marketing is not a static strategy, but rather one that must constantly adapt to changing input. By carefully analyzing the analytics associated with a website, a company can make these adjustments in their campaign.

Search Engine Optimization in the Age of Google Instant

Search engine optimization is a process which gives websites higher rankings based on certain keywords that the user employs to conduct a search. Previous to the introduction of Google Instant, a user would enter a search term and then allow the search engine to begin listing results. However, Google Instant searches simultaneously as the person is typing. For example, if a person begins typing “new” the search engine may display results for “New York City.” As the person enters more information, the search engine refines the displayed results letter by letter, anticipating what the person is searching for.

This technology will have a significant impact on search engine optimization, especially for small businesses. Although refining the keywords that are associated with a company’s website into the most popular and concise form possible has always been important, Google instant amplifies the need for even tighter and more concise phraseology. Businesses also need to consider how they might alter their keywords so that they will appear in searches in which they may not have previously appeared. Because Google instant predicts what a person is going to enter, businesses may be able to capitalize on search engine optimization by emphasizing seemingly unrelated keywords that will cause their website to appear. A pizza company, for example, may want to spend money on the keyword ‘pi,’ even though this has traditionally been a mathematical term.

The particular industry of the small business will also impact how the company approaches search engine optimization. Those companies which have an exceedingly specific market, such as the reproduction of antique style grandfather clocks from 1850’s Germany, is probably going to fare about the same as it always has in search engine optimization. Those individuals who are interested in a specific item are not going to be diverted easily.

However, small businesses that sell a more generic product, such as broomsticks, will have to work much harder at search engine optimization. Although geolocation plays a role in minimizing the number of possible results, generic businesses will still have to focus on buying up individual strings of letters most commonly associated with their products in order to maximize their search engine optimization. The best strategy for search engine optimization in the age of Google Instant is to understand specifically what the company is selling, how fierce the competition is, and how likely it is that people will spend additional time typing in detailed search terms.

What Is Internet Marketing Anyway?

Internet marketing uses a combination of methods to sell items in the global marketplace through the power of the World Wide Web. While the most common method is through an attractive website that ranks high on the first page of results from popular search engines, internet marketing strategies have expanded into other areas in the cyber world including social media sites and smart phone applications. Because the global marketplace continues to grow at a rapid pace, the modern business model can't ignore the advantages of internet marketing.

Search Engines
Most internet users rely on powerful search engines to retrieve relevant information from the internet. Usually, they will make a choice from the first few selections on the initial page of the search results and look no further. If an internet marketing plan can ensure that a website is listed on the first page of Google, it is almost guaranteed to sell a product. Many people use a technique called Search Engine Optimization in an attempt to rank high with the search engines. This free, internet marketing method uses keywords that internet surfers frequently search on for prominent placement on a result page. Another way to rank high is to pay a fee to a specific search engine to become a preferred site for a list of keywords. This can ensure that you are near the top of the page on relevant searches.

Affiliate Marketing
Affiliate marketing involves compensating others to provide internet marketing services for a product. In return for promoting the product, the affiliate marketer receives a commission if a purchase is made from their site. They will use a variety of search engine optimization techniques, blogging, emails, social networking, forum campaigns, and anything else that they can think of to sell an item or a service. These motivated individuals usually know all of the most effective, cutting-edge internet marketing strategies. To start an affiliate marketing program, a company can contract with a third party or start their own program from their main website.

Social Networking Sites
This is one of the most effective ways to use internet marketing to date. Many internet users are virtually addicted to MySpace, Facebook, and Twitter, and large corporations are taking full advantage of this fact. On almost every corporate website, icons for all three of the major social networking sites are displayed in a prominent location. While social networking members are busy meeting people from around the world, they are also exposed to advertisements and offers from the ever-growing global marketplace. One of the fastest growing online occupations is the social networking marketer. Companies hire these experts to leverage the power of social networking sites in addition to creating specialized blogs with frequent updates.

Copywriting and SEO Success

If you’re not making the money you want online, chances are it comes down to where you site is appearing on the search engines. Sites that appear on the first page of the search engines get most of the visits from on line searchers. Sites that appear at the top of the first page get 65% of the visits.

There are two skills that you need in online marketing:

1. Basic Search engine Optimization, and;
2. Copywriting.

Practically everything you do online as a marketer falls back to one of these two core skills.

SEO skills help you connect with qualified streams of online traffic by helping the search engines understand your business. Copywriting skills help you convert traffic into customers and to take the actions that will benefit your business.

To become successful online you need both the buy in of the search engines and the attention of online visitors.