Given that there are over 3.5 billion Google searches per day, it’s no surprise that 85 percent of retailers say search engine marketing is the most effective tactic for acquiring new customers. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be delving deep into search engine marketing and how it can help you reach B2B buyers.
In search engine marketing, marketers research, submit and position a website to achieve maximum visibility and share of search engine referrals. In today’s post, we’ll clarify the difference between organic listings and paid search, and define the most important aspects of paid search advertising.
Organic search results are determined and ranked only by their relevance to your search, not the amount of money a related business spent on advertising. For example, if you Google “email marketing tips,” you are likely searching for advice from a marketing thought leader, not a link to marketing automation software. You would therefore likely navigate directly to the organic search results.
Google uses a complex algorithm to determine which pages show up first in organic search results, and takes into account over 200 factors including relevant keywords used, overall site structure, site speed, and quality of outbound links. The vast number of pages that result from a simple search are ranked in order of relevance to the user.
If an advertiser has paid to have their content associated with certain keywords, paid search ads will appear when a user searches these keywords. These are at the top or bottom of each page of Google search results, and say “ad” in small text next to the URL they offer. Their order on the results page is determined largely by the amount of money that businesses bid for specific keywords. For example, iContact would likely spend a large amount on the keyword “email marketing tips” in an effort to appear high on your first search results page. Other factors considered in ad rank, or an ad’s position on a page, include relevance, landing page experience, and the expected impact of ad extensions and other ad formats. In next week’s post, we’ll share more in-depth information on paid search, and discuss extensions and ad formats in addition to keyword bidding.
Search engines present a complex and profitable landscape for marketers, as search is the top driver of traffic to content sites. As a certified Google Partner agency, Movéo has deep expertise across search, mobile and video advertising, and our clients benefit from expedited support to ensure their Google campaigns are running efficiently and generating positive ROI. To learn more of our search engine marketing recommendations, check our past blog, “Four ways to optimize your content for search today.”
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