Since the whole area of SEO and internet, or digital, marketing can be confusing, the subject is often gladly skimmed over by many website owners. For those in the online marketing profession, SEO and SEM are both areas that are essential to understand in detail, if marketing campaigns are to be as affective as they can be. So, it is only natural that website owners let their SEO marketing people take the lead in the topic.
However, there are some points that all business and website owners should be aware of, so they can have a decent general idea of the significance of SEO. They may already know, for example, that some creative link building will greatly enhance their chances of climbing the search engine ranks, and duly turn to providers of link building services to maximise the return on such investments. However, here are three more facts worth having in mind.
SEO Increases Search Engine Ranking
This may not be actual news, but in case there is some confusion it is worth stating that the whole purpose of search engine optimisation, or SEO, is to increase the ranking of a site. By doing this, users of a search engine are more likely to see the website in search results, with an estimate 75 per cent of searchers only ever looking at the first page of results. That basically means that a place in the top 25 sites relating to a search topic, is needed to attract the attention of the vast majority of search engine users.
How precisely SEO manages to push the ranking upwards is a science in its own right, but a number of methods are used in the overall campaign. These include keyword integration, generation of back links, use of meta tags and optimised website content.
SEO or PPC for Better Conversions
The fact that SEO is organic in method means that high conversion rates are not guaranteed. Conversion refers to the number of web users who are successfully prompted to visit a site, and then go on to buy from it. Basically, the visitors that are converted into customers.
But because the organic nature of SEO, where ranking is accomplished as a result of free linking and visits, conversions cannot be relied upon, as not everyone visiting a site is necessarily intending to purchase.
The PPC marketing method offers greater assurance of purchase and, as a result, is now a competitive alternative to SEO. PPC stands for pay per click, which means a website owner pays a fee for each click made on an advertisement on a search page.
However, because the ad is paid for, page presence is immediate in comparison to SEO, which requires a website to work its way up the rankings. These ads have greater versatility as they can promote seasonal special offers and users are targeted, meaning they are much more likely to buy.
It is worth adding, however, that most search marketing experts are advising sites use both options to maximise their sales potential.
Bad SEO Does Exist
It has been argued that SEO results justify every method used, but this is not actually true. There are a number of methods used that are considered to be spam, the most common of which are cloaking, where the page content is different to that searched for, creating automatic doorway pages that users are then redirected to, and link farms, where a group of sites are hyperlinked to each other. Perhaps the most common, however, is keyword stuffing, which sees key words indiscriminately spread throughout the content on a web page.
While these methods will see an immediate impact on the search engine ranking of a site, the search engine itself will eventually detect the pattern and duly throw the site far down the rankings. This damages the overall digital marketing campaign, but ultimately hurts site efficiency by dramatically slashing the amount of traffic, thereby reducing its commercial effectiveness.
The acceptable methods of building search engine presence and climbing their rankings includes basic, as well as more creative link building, but the trick is to make it as effective as possible. This is where the proven link building services provided by professional SEO and internet marketing companies are so valuable.
While a general knowledge of the whole SEO area is good to have, it is equally good to leave any implementation of a campaign to the professionals.
It is generally believed that to have an effective marketing campaign on the internet, one needs to ensure that their SEO matters are properly handled. After all, high quality links generally mean a high search engine ranking. However, this is only half of the truth with search engine marketing, or SEM, an essential part of the same marketing coin.
In fact, strictly speaking, SEO is part of SEM, meaning that search engine optimisation is a component within an overall internet marketing campaign. Other important components include link building, directory submissions, pay per click ads, and other types of search marketing techniques.
These are all designed to lead a web user to a particular site, thereby increasing traffic and in doing so, increasing the potential for direct sales of goods or services to the public.
However, while SEO is considered the buzz phrase of the online marketing industry, SEM is hugely important too, and in the opinion of many marketing experts is perhaps as, if not more, important. With that in mind, you might wonder that the differences between the two are.
Firstly, SEO strategically moulds website content so that it secures a high rank on search engines, and appear earliest to web users searching for specific information or services. To accomplish this, such marketing aspects as keyword integration, meta tags, the generation of back links and the use of keyword rich content are used. By improving the position of a website in search results, they will be clicked on more often bringing more traffic to the site.
However, through a variety of marketing techniques within an SEM campaign, a website can attract traffic in other ways. This means promoting site visibility by pointing a page viewer directly to the site, in much the same way as a traditional print ad in a newspaper will catch the attention of a reader and direct them towards a product.
Of course, it can encourage links to be generated between sites and content, by targeting only web users interested in the specific site topic, such a motorbike enthusiasts prompted towards a site on motorbikes or motorbike accessories. In this way, the relevance of the advertised site is high which, in turn, means that the relevance of any links by web users is maintained. This then bolsters attempts to improve search engine optimisation.
But knowing why exactly one should invest in and embark on an SEM campaign is another matter. The reason why one should have a search engine focused marketing campaign is because of the minute chance a website has of actually being seen by people surfing the web. With literally billions of sites on the web, something has to be done to draw in site visitors, and gaining a presence on a search engine is one effective way
An SEM campaign may make use of traditional marketing techniques like magazine and newspaper print ads to help make the public aware that a particular site exists. However, when one searches on Google for a site by topic, small ads usually appear down the right side of the screen. These are not part of the search, but are ads to sites that are relevant to the search subject. In this way, a site is made visible to the web user and, in doing so, greatly increases the chances of that user actually visiting the site.
And this is where SEM is so essential to a business trying to build its online presence. It not only provides users with a virtual invitation to click on the URL and visit the site, it invites users who are already interested in the site subject. It is the same as a tshirt vendor going to a Bruno Mars concert to sell Bruno Mars tshirts. He knows he is far more likely to make sales there than anywhere else.
Getting a high rank on a search engine involves meeting a lot of criteria, but it can be achieved through an effective link building campaign, especially one that concentrates on utilising high quality links and back links, to and from relevant and content rich sites.
However, search marketing techniques are more varied than that, and a truly effective marketing campaign will use every avenue possible to help a website beat its 10 or 20 million online competitors in terms of visibility, popularity and, of course, SEO rank.
It may seem that reading up on SEO and article linking can arm anyone with the knowledge needed to embark on a very successful internet marketing campaign. However, doing a little homework never turned a student into an expert, and the truth is that it is experience that really counts. Turning to the experienced professional, namely an SEO company with a proven record, is widely recognised as the shrewdest course of action.
Going it alone may not guarantee failure, but the realities of business mean that success is much harder to attain. For instance, knowing about linking is fine, but attracting truly high quality back links, increasing rank on a search engine, marketing articles effectively, and developing a sustainable presence on the world wide web, requires a large degree of knowledge about the market and the available marketing techniques.
Tapping into the knowledge of those in the know provides a far greater likelihood of success which, of course, is the main reason for turning to proven professionals in the first place. However, lets not ignore the fact that there are also other reasons.
Building Presence and Rank
The primary aim of carrying out any marketing campaign is to ensure that the particular brand builds a greater presence in the market place. When it comes to the internet, that also means having the highest possible rank on a search engine. Accomplishing this requires a deep knowledge of the market, knowing the techniques that are most effective and being able to plan a strategy around them.
A professional SEO services company will be able to construct a precise strategy and schedule to follow. It may require rewriting content already existing on the company website, identifying the most effective key words and keyword phrases, properly positioning links within the content, and using other techniques, such as link baiting, article marketing, and how to generate interest on social media sites.
Greater Cost Efficiency
Going it alone would require quite a large investment, both in terms of money and time. Time is needed to research or take the educational courses to become sufficiently knowledgeable on ecommerce and SEO matters, while one may also need to buy a number of books and, perhaps, purchase information from dedicated websites. This can not only use up valuable time, but drain a considerable amount of money from either personal or business resources.
However, it is the business of an SEO services provider to be fully knowledgeable and in tune with the latest industry developments. In essence, the fee paid for their professional services will cover everything, including any future developments. The costs therefore are precise and compact, not spread around course and book costs, but directed at one destination.
Convenience and Confidence
Knowing that expert personnel are actively involved in developing ones online business means that one can concentrate on running the business, meeting deadlines and delivering orders. In other words, attention is not taken from the original point of the business, namely making a profit. The convenience of being able to outsource the tasks and responsibilities of internet marketing and search engine optimisation removes a considerable amount of pressure.
Of course, the results of the campaign are what really matters, and good results are what make the fees paid worthwhile. After all, a website that successfully grows in visibility can see an increase in site traffic and, by consequence, a growth in business. So, not only can one have greater confidence that the campaign will be a success, but SEO can also help to build confidence for the future of the business.
By hiring an SEO company with a record of success, one can have real confidence in positive results and improved revenue being attained. But it is also important to note that there are factors that should be considered when hiring the company. Not least is that past successes are documented and can be checked out fully. It is also important that the people working directly on ones marketing campaign are properly qualified.
The benefits of effective article marketing, of being able to entice visitors through link baiting, of attracting high quality back links, and of improving the overall visibility of a website, are huge. However, none of them can be achieved without the knowledge of search engine marketing, optimisation and ranking.
Once upon a time, it was thought that when a business launched its website, the orders would simply come flooding in. But, with literally billions of websites on the net, sites need more than a catchy domain name and some pretty solid content to be a success. The best way to succeed online is to build a site presence, and links makes all the difference, particular high quality links.
When a web user wants to find a website, he or she will usually enter a relevant phrase or topic name into a search engine and search for specific information, not a particular site. Links play a key role in establishing the prominence that a particular site has within a topic, and therefore a higher rank within the search engine.
Through search engine optimisation, which is more commonly referred to as SEO, the search engine will best be able to find what the user is looking for. This makes the dual areas of site linking and key word searching equally important. But, in terms of linking, there are aspects that affect the actual quality of the link, one of which is relevance.
For many people, the whole world of website linking is a bit like backwards Greek. Completely confusing. However, it is perfectly clear when one breaks the matter down into its simplest form and keeps in mind the key theme word on which the whole matter is based. That theme word is sharing.
A link is basically a percentage of a single value, lets say the number 1. And the value of 1 is divided equally between all of the websites on the internet, ensuring that all existing sites have an equal rank. Through links, websites can donate their value to others, thereby building the significance of the website they links to.
To make it simpler, think of the internet as an apartment building, with 100 apartments. The building has a value of 100, with each apartment a value of 1. The popularity, and therefore rank of apartments, can be measured by the number of residents that like to visit, or link to, it. So, if three residents visit apartment 5B, they donate their respective values, meaning 5B is worth 3. And since every other apartment is worth just 1, that means that 5B is the most popular or the most prominent, and is duly ranked top of the list.
It gets a little more complicated when the resident in apartment 3F likes to visit three apartments regularly, say 7D and 2H, as well as 5B. In that case, 3F simply divides its value into 3, thereby donating 0.33 to each of 7D, 2H and 5B. However, as an intricate visiting pattern develops, the values can become extremely varied and result in a table of preferences, clearly ranking the apartments according to their popularity.
Quality is also important, and search engines have developed to such a level of sophistication that they can identify which links are most relevant, and which ones are less so. In the past, owners of websites and blogs simply built a multitude of links on other sites to into a position of significance. The problem was that not all links were on relevant sites, or even sites that could be considered genuine.
So, an owner of a pet store might link sites relating to gardening, sport and archeology to his own business website, as well as those relating to pet matters. The result is a huge number of links, but only a small percentage of which are relevant.
Now, search engines evaluate the quality of the particular links, that if a site is linked to a site within the same topic or industry, the relevance is high and the link is a high quality link. Once this status has been achieved, and a search engine places a site higher on the ranking system, it will take less time for a web user to find a relevant site.
With the right key words, and a truly effective search engine optimisation strategy, more traffic can be directed to a site, bringing more potential customers, creating more business and increasing sales. With the right link building and SEO techniques, any business can thrive on the world wide web.
While SEO ranking, keywords and links are all valuable methods for a website to build its online presence, there are specific techniques that make them so efficient. One of the most popular is the provision of link bait, which is designed to entice visitors to add links to websites and specific content. In doing so, it builds popularity, relevance and ranking status on a search engine.
There is no getting away from the fact that internet marketing is essential. The problem is that the marketing techniques used in past decades are completely ineffective online, and the techniques used online are very specific. It means that, even for the most experienced business people, it is necessary to avail of professional marketing and seo services to ensure the best possible results.
Article marketing is one marketing strategy popularly utilised by such service providers. An article is posted with the distinct intention of referring readers to a specific site through links contained within the article content. Effectively, the content is the bait to which the site is linked. There are several effective kinds of content to which the links can be added, but here are just five.
Informative Content
The most logical way to keep site visitors coming back, and sharing articles with their respective networks, is to provide content that is informative and valuable. This content does not have to be news, but can be detailed or simplified explanations of complex matters, overviews of significant events, or simply well structured opinions that leave the reader more enlightened on a subject. Quick guides, lists of tips or revelations about neat tricks to make life easier, are all gold content in this respect. Ideally, the visitor should feel inspired to share what they have learned by linking to the site.
Unique Content
There is a huge value given to unique content on the web, mainly because reproduced content tends to indicate a laziness, a lack of genuineness and, by association, a dishonesty on the part of the site owner. Understandably, visitors are turned off by this and, as a result, search engines have clamped down on the use of reproduced content, making it necessary for site owners and bloggers to find fresh material from somewhere. However, by producing unique content, it is possible to strategically structure it so that the reader will feel compelled to use the links, and thereafter link back to the site, thereby effectively marketing the business site.
Cited Content
This refers to content that references its information, by linking out to source sites and articles through citations. This builds relevance, and provides a valuable bait to those cited sites to link back. So, for example, if content on bamboo furniture cites an article published on a furniture blog, the blog owner is likely to advertise the fact his site was cited, and link to the particular article. It adds significance to his own content, and as a consequence, his readers will share the link in their own networks.
News Content
In every sphere, there is a hunger for fresh information. Web designers want to know the new tools in the pipeline, motor enthusiasts want to know about new models, and film buffs want to know what projects are in production. To satisfy this hunger, web users will gravitate towards a news source. It is a principle that is allowing some blogs to enjoy unexpected levels of prominence, as visitors link to the news source, spread the news amongst their respective networks, and thereby increasing awareness, traffic and attaining a higher seo ranking.
Videos, Illustrations and Humour
It is impossible to over estimate the value of entertainment on the internet. After all, everyone is drawn quite naturally towards entertaining content, whether it is a photograph, a cartoon, a painting, a video or a written joke. Images that are emotional, curious, strange or just inspiring can attract interest and prompt people to link to it. Similarly, videos such as those available on YouTube, attract viewers and can then be linked to. And while, in internet marketing terms, this strategy is a success, those linking will only see it as sharing something that is entertaining.
With businesses turning to providers of professional seo services, the campaign efficiencies are high, which in turn increases competition. However, because the link bait technique appeals to the specific interests of web users, its success rate is high. A reader, after all, is always happy to read more, and go to a site that provides as much.