THE BASICS OF SEM

• What is SEM
• Spiders, robots, and crawlers
• Index vs directory
• Web analytics
• Search engine optimization
• Web design and SEM

GETTING STARTED

• Getting indexed and ranked
• Selecting search engines
• Understanding search results
• Converting customers
• Increasing ROI
• Pay per click and more

COMMENTS

• "I appreciate that you didn't leave us to figure out what to do with our website once you developed it."
  Alan Fox, Newlife Office
• "Every aspect of having a website has been thoroughly researched and well thought out."
  Mark Eldredge, Newmark Development

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INTERESTS free ranking report  optimize existing site  search engine marketing  build a new site

"Oneupweb found that the first month a site appeared on the second or third page of Google results, traffic increased five times from the previous month, and in the second month, traffic was nine times greater...Oneupweb discovered a correlating impact on sales: 42 percent more the first month, and nearly double the second month.""Googling the Bottom Line" by Adam L. Penenberg

"Adopting a strategy which combines Organic placements with PPC advertising, large websites receive more visitors, gain increased credibility through multiple references on a SERP, and generally make more sales.""Holistic Search Marketing - Organic and PPC" by Jim Hedger

"An emphasis on creative/copy, site, placement, frequency, geography, and time of day are critical elements to establising the proper [on-line ad] mix.""What's Loyalty Worth?" by Seana Mulcahy

"Breaking down conversion rate by traffic source tells me which traffic to go get more of!""I-Sales Digest Issue 1832: Lies, Damn Lies and Site Statistics" post by Dave Cadoff--moderator

"A great site keeps your users in mind, it will be easier to get good links, good rankings and all around good results.""Why the Heck Do You Have a Web Site Anyway?" by Scottie Claiborne)

"Your Web site has essentially become your frontline sales person...or one big lead-generation funnel.""Know Where Your Leads Come From? Think Again" by Michael Ortner

"Searchers click on at least four listings, (according to BizRate), so your objective at this critical stage is to make sure that landing pages are prepared to win the sale faster than the competitors.""Google Optimization: E-commerce @ $0 Cost (Part 2)" by Brian Klais

"Many have concluded that not only must their pages be optimized for inclusion in results, but they also must be optimized so that the right information shows up in the search results."from Internet Retailer News Story "Marketing Dollars are Shifting Online, Analyst Says"

"Making sure your content is found in the first page of search results is a great start, but it is only a start. Until the searchers have completed the task they came to your Web site to complete, nothing of substance has been achieved.""Search Optimization, Not Search Engine Optimization" by Gerry McGovern

"Piper Jaffray estimates the average customer acquisition cost for search to be between $7 and $10, compared to $15 and $25 for Yellow Pages, $40 to $80 for email and $60 to $80 for direct mail. Search is growing because it works.""Rashtchy's Golden Search Turns Platinum" by Gord Hotchkiss

GETTING INDEXED AND RANKED

You want the search engine crawlers to find your site and index it. Being indexed and highly ranked by a major search engine is the most cost effective way to bring visitors to a site. About 80% of all surfers do not move past the first page of search engine results and about 50% will click on the top 10 sites listed. Having your site appear in a desirable position on a keyword search results page (SERP) is critical to ensuring visitors find your site.

Once your site has been crawled and indexed, search engines display your site name and description under relevant search terms. One way that search engines determine the relevancy of a given website for display under a particular search term is by page rank. Page rank includes a complex calculation of all internal and external links to a website.

Links are weighted based on the importance of the site that is linking to your site. For example, a link from Amazon.com to your site would be weighted more heavily than a link from No-name-bookstore.com. Outgoing links are important as well. Search engines do not like to see sites that dead-end. Building effective link campaigns through directories and related sites, avoiding links which may penalize your site, is an important part of a high ranking by search engines.

Once your site is optimized, go to the appropriate search engine websites and submit your site for indexing and ranking.  back...

SELECTING MAJOR SEARCH ENGINES

There are thousands of search engines on the World Wide Web. Positioning your web site in the top search engines is the most cost effective way to bring website traffic. Many search engines share data with other search engines, so by listing with the central engines your web site will appear in associated search engines also. The chart below shows the major search engines and corresponding relationships.

UNDERSTANDING SEARCH RESULTS

Your investment in search engine positioning services will give returns depending on what you are willing to invest. Did you invest in search engine optimization, affiliate marketing, link campaigns and search engine advertising? Your SEM needs depend on your purpose, customer demographics, and your budget.

If you have time or if you have a non-competitive keyword, optimize your site for the most effective keyword phrases, both the content and the code, and investigate linking opportunities. Allow the site to be indexed for free by search engine spiders and robots. Wait 6-8 months and monitor the market.

For faster targeted results identify phrases that surfers are searching on but few companies are using. To get listed quickly on major search engines, optimize as suggested above, then invest in paid inclusion programs, invest in ongoing pay per click advertising campaigns, list with directories or shopping networks, begin an affiliate program, write articles and include articles about your products and services, participate in on-line communities. And finally, monitor your rankings and track ROI, making adjustments as often as possible.

Understanding your target market, being familiar with your on-line competitors, and analyzing search data are key to reducing your cost of conversion and increasing your ROI. Read more about what you can expect from your search engine positioning service  back...

CONVERTING CUSTOMERS

Being positioned on the first or second page of search engine listings brings visitors seeking your products or services. But getting visitors to your site is only the first step. Getting customers to take action, buy your product, or subscribe to your service, is known as customer conversion. Converting visitors to customers is your goal. An April 2003 survey, by the E-tailing Group, found that the majority of E-commerce sites are seeing conversion rates between 2% and10%.

Search engine positioning services convert visitors to customers by designing a site around the action you want customers to take. Site usability, informative copy, and a strong identity are all part of the process. Effective site organization, search capability, a clear and direct call to action, and a pleasing, easy-to-use interface are critical. Customer service access, informative articles, community-building, and special on-line offers can also improve conversion rates. Do what you can to build customer confidence and direct visitors to take action.  back...

PAY PER CLICK AND MORE

Pay-per-click (PPC) or cost per click (CPC) advertising campaigns can be an effective way to increase traffic to your site. In a pay per click program, you can bid to be listed higher or in a more prominent position on a search result page for a particular search term. PPC programs require you to pay every time someone clicks on your link in the search results. In theory, if you are listed prominently in the results, more visitors click from the search page to your site, bringing you business. However, the cost of these services needs to be weighed against the number of converted customers, visitors who become paying customers, and is known as conversion cost.

In pay-per-click search engines the cost of some popular keywords can be as high as $10.00 per click, but often averages $.50 - $1.00 per click. If a keyword is purchased at $.50 per click and two visitors are converted to customers for every 100 clicks, the cost per conversion will be $50 and if you are selling a $4.00 widget, $50 per customer is definitely too high! But, if you are selling $4,000 widgets, $50 could be a reasonable return on your investment (ROI).

There are other SEM methods that should not be overlooked. Alternate directory listings such as the Open Directory Project and others specializing in your area of expertise can often cost less and bring you a more targeted market, increasing ROI substantially. Contextual ads put your ad on popular pages indexed with content relevant to your ad's key phrase, bringing you a more qualified customer. Trusted feed programs load your products into a database of products in a search engine specializing in your product line. Banner ads are proven to increase brand awareness. New SEM methods are being explored constantly.

If you are looking for multiple ways to market your product or services on-line, consider investing in a professional SEM service. Find a qualified SEM professional by filling out the form.  back...

INCREASING ROI

Can my website help lower my customer conversion costs and increase my return on investment (ROI)? The amount you invest in any SEM program needs to be weighed against the number of converted customers, visitors who become paying customers.

One of the greatest benefits of on-line marketing is the ability to track ROI accurately. Your SEM professional can compile reports telling you exactly how your customer acquisition costs add up. Using the latest SEM tools your marketing campaigns can be fine-tuned, and even adjusted for day parts in some cases. The possibilities for improving ROI are amazing.

Customer satisfaction and ROI for online advertising techniques:

• Paid Listings: 41% satisfaction and 29% ROI
• Opt-In Email: 33% satisfaction and 24% ROI
• Paid Inclusion: 31% satisfaction and 23% ROI
• CPC Banners: 21% satisfaction and 16% ROI
• CPM Banners: 19% satisfaction and 12% ROI

Source: Jupiter Media, Harris Interactive. Quoted on page 17, The Golden Search, US Bancorp Piper Jaffray, March 2003  back...