Absolute Top Five Search Engine Marketing Myths Uncovered!

It's no secret that Search Engine marketing can drive significant amounts of very qualified traffic to a web site ? as 85% of Internet users utilize search engines to find/research for goods and services. The problem for many companies is the difficulty they face sifting through conflicting information and hyperbole! Here is my top five list of myths that need to be run to ground.

Big Picture Myth One ? Search engine ranking leads are not as good as those which originate from other forms of traditional marketing (print, direct mail, PR, etc.) ? this is absolute hogwash, the truth is many agencies don't have a clue about s/e ranking, so they push their clients to ignore this form of advertising. They simply don't want to recommend anything they don't understand and/or utilize an interactive marketing vehicle that requires a blend of very specialized technology and processes.

We've in fact found just the opposite when we've analyzed s/e traffic versus other types of leads for our clients; i.e. search engine traffic can be much better, as it is comprised of individuals who are actively seeking info, not just people whose curiosity has been piqued by an eye-catching publication ad or press release. And, when we've analyzed the data by tracking leads via a landing page (on a web site) we've discovered that CPL (cost per lead) numbers can be much lower for s/e ranking than other more traditional marketing methods.

Big Picture Myth Two ? Effective s/e marketing can be done in house ? this is rarely the case, the sheer complexity and online competition (digital warfare!) for rankings makes this extremely difficult for most companies. Based upon our analysis over 73% of corporate accounts don't understand the basic fundamentals; i.e. how to properly use keywords, meta tags and titles and worse, don't submit their web sites to top tier Directories (Yahoo, LookSmart, OPD) and the hundreds of second tier directories.

Most companies delegate the s/e submissions to the webmaster or web site development staff and they just don't have the time to understand the daunting complexities required to generate page 1-3 rankings - or to stay abreast of the shifting submissions and ranking criteria standards, as modified monthly by top tier search engines. And, in many companies the s/e ranking is added to the over worked webmaster's tasks purely as an afterthought ? as opposed to being addressed formally by the marketing department, with dedicated personnel and a budget.

Big Picture Myth Three ? off the shelf software that submits a site to thousands of web sites and presents snazzy reports can do it all. This is so inaccurate and nothing can be further from the truth ? it takes a tremendous amount of labor and time to identify keyword sets (not just words), optimize the content for these keywords, submit the pages while obeying the rules of the road and then continually analyzing rankings and tweaking to maintain and drive rankings (web site visibility).

Software can certainly help to automate some facets of the process and be used for back end analysis ? but you can't expect any application to make the job easy, there is too much inherent complexity in the processes. And, competition for keyword sets is fierce ? as there are an estimated 5-10M registered domains (the numbers vary widely) with 60K new domains being registered every day.

Big Picture Myths Four and Five ? Any page listing will help to drive traffic to a web site ? this is another misconception. If you are aren't achieving page 1-3 rankings then your wasting a great deal of time and resources ? most people never drill down below these pages. Another common mistake is trying to achieve s/e rankings for a specific URL or product ? if people know the name of a company or product they will find your web site easily, it's a waste of resources to optimize for these specialized terms in 80% of most cases.

About The Author

Lee Traupel has 20 plus years of business development and marketing experience - he is the founder of Intelective Communications, Inc., http://www.intelective.com, a results-driven marketing services company providing proprietary services to clients encompassing startups to public companies. Lee@intelective.com

Lee@intelective.com

---

SEO Expert Guide - Free Site Promotion (PR) (part 6/10)

In parts 1 - 5 you learnt how to develop... Read More

Search Engine FAQ

Why shouldn't I use a submission service that submits my... Read More

Increase Your Link Popularity for Free

Among the many things you need to worry about for... Read More

Basics to Search Engine Optimization

Search Engine Optimization popularly known as SEO.SEO is the process... Read More

New MSN Search Engine: How Good is it?

If you have an online business or you just use... Read More

Is My Search Engine Optimization Working?

You've just built a website and can't wait to start... Read More

How My Page Rank Went From 0 to 5 In One Update - How Yours Can Too

Increase Your Google Page Rank!Page Rank. We all know what... Read More

Make Quality Content Your #1 Priority

It is by now a proven fact that content is... Read More

Got Spiders?

Many internet marketers blow mountains of start-up cash on their... Read More

Link Popularity

In today scenario when we talk about Search Engine Optimization,... Read More

10 Steps To Higher Search Engine Positioning

There is perhaps no more level playing field in business... Read More

HTML and Search Engine Optimization - What You Dont Know Can Kill You

When it comes to search engine optimization there is a... Read More

New Site and Sandbox: How to Get Rid of It

You have put lot of sweat in making your site.... Read More

How to Increase Alexa Ranking of Your Website

Alexa toolbar also useful to Browse expired websites database. Many... Read More

What In The World Is This Google Sandbox Theory Thing? And How Do I Beat It?

Ok, so over the past month or so I've been... Read More

Why Top Search Engine Placements Never Move?

#1 question when it comes to web advertising is how... Read More

Search Engine Algorithm Quandaries

Before you make drastic changes to your website after a... Read More

Search Engine Optimization for Dummies

Lets face it. Search Engines rule the World Wide Web... Read More

SEO -- Tips to Optimize Your Webpage to Compete for a High Ranking

Search engine optimization (SEO) is very important to websites. If... Read More

No Cost Search Engine Marketing

As a matter of fact, I recommend NOT wasting money... Read More

Understanding Googles Algorithm

What is the Google Algorithm?An algorithm is a mathematical equation... Read More

How Do I Improve My Web Site Conversion Rate? Part 1

Question 1.What do you mean by conversion? Do you mean... Read More

Importance of Keywords in Links to Your Website

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a very complex process. It... Read More

Keywords ? Key For All Doors

Keyword research is certainly the most important phase in Search... Read More

Easy And Simple Steps To Get Listed In Search Engines

Search engines are one of THE best resource for free... Read More

Google - PR & Backlinks

Here are some observations that I have made recently:1. On... Read More

Search Engines: Tips and Strategies on Getting Listed and Ranking High for Newbies

You've got a website. You've put countless hours into it,... Read More

Using Google

Thanks to a unique algorithm that produces most relevant results... Read More

How to Use the Google Patent to Get More Traffic

According to the recent release of the Google Patent Application,... Read More

How to Improve Your Search Engine Positioning and Increase Traffic Today

Every website has times when traffic is higher than others.... Read More

Part I : Getting Free Hits Using These Simple Tips & Tricks

Search Engine OptimizationSearch engines still remain the #1 tool to... Read More

The Secret Benefit Of Search Engine Optimisation: Increased Usability

A higher search ranking is what many website owners dream... Read More

Optimizing Your Website

Search Engine Optimization, optimizing your website for it to be... Read More