What is Search Engine Marketing?
 by: Michael Hargrove

If you are a website owner, you already understand the importance of keywords and advertising in search engines. In order to make sales, websites must use the latest advertising technology geared toward the internet. These methods include search engine optimization and search engine advertising (pay per click) and are necessary for success in any online venture. Together they are known as search engine marketing.

Search engine optimization consists of a variety of techniques to increase the rankings of a website in search engines. Search engines base rankings on a number of factors that determine relevance of a site and where they will go in their search results. The search engines use spider programs which search out websites and, using algorithms designed by the search engines, gather all sorts of information from the website. Some considerations in the algorithms consist of things like age of site, how often the site is updated, content, links, and many other things. Search engine giant Google uses PageRank to measure sites, with 10 being the highest ranking which is given to very few sites. If your site has a 4 or 5, that’s pretty good.

Search Engine advertising or Pay per Click advertising is another tool used in search engine marketing. By advertising directly with the search engines, a site will be given higher ranking in search results. Search engine marketing also gives exposure to a site based on content, so the site appears in search engines when users are looking for a particular product or keyword. This targeted searching and advertising is dominating consumer spending. In 2003, $2.5 billion in sales came from search results, and that number is expected to grow 25 percent this year to $3.2 billion.

Employing these methods of Search engine marketing will increase your sites visibility in the search results. Both parties win using search engines. For advertisers using the best techniques of SEO, they will gain visitors who are looking for their specific products or services. When their business is put into the search engine, visitors are more likely to visit the site specifically for their services. Research also shows that when visitors come to a site through a search engine, they are typically more motivated to buy.

There are much more to these techniques than listed above. Search engine optimization itself is very detailed and complicated. To truly optimize your site, it is important to hire editors who specialize in SEO. And advertising too requires knowledge of the industry. It is very important to follow the search engines guidelines to the letter to avoid being penalized. A company that provides exclusive search marketing services will do everything from keyword selection to monthly maintenance.

About The Author

This article was written by Michael Hargrove of Web Submission Services as an informational piece for website owners. Please visit Web Submission Services for more information about exclusive search marketing services, http://www.internetmarketingwebsites.com/marketing-service.htm and search engine optimization, http://www.internetmarketingwebsites.com/optimization-service.htm.