Wikipedia defines search engine optimization as a subset of search engine marketing that deals with improving the number and/or quality of visitors to a web site from “natural” (aka “organic” or “algorithmic” search engine) listings. The term SEO can also refer to “search engine optimizers”, an industry of consultants who carry out optimization projects on behalf of clients.

Um…ok. Thanks wikipedia, but let’s put that in laymen terms. There are three methods of search engine marketing (SEM) that will increase the visibility of your web site in search engine results pages (SERPs). The three subsets are:

1. Search engine optimization - the goal here is to improve rankings for your important keywords in search results by improving a web site’s structure and content. The search engine sends out little spiders that scan all the important data on the whole site and store it in the search engines’ data base. The search engines will display the most relevant results first. There’s a lot more involved than just the spiders, but this is a good start. Because search engine optimization takes a very long time and is quite costly, most sites make use of pay per click advertising so they can start seeing results instantaneously. A combination of SEO and PPC will provide more exposure and results than either strategy alone.

2. Pay per Click (PPC) advertising - also known as sponsored search and search engine advertising, the advertiser is only charged when a user clicks on the ad. The ads can be text ads, banner ads, video ads, or even audio ads. Pay per click advertising allows advertisers to target specific users with certain interests.

3. Paid inclusion - this is different from pay per click advertising because it guarantees inclusion but not placement. Paid inclusion ensures your ad is going to be viewed when a user does a search for your keywords or phrases. You usually pay by month, 6 months, or year and now your listing is included for relevant searches. There is no way to be #1 in the search results unless the marketing company has exclusive positions available which will be not be included in the costs of the basic inclusion.

Let’s face it. Everyone would love to be among the first companies displayed in the search engines’ results page. Not everyone has the time or money to invest to keep up with the continuous changing algorithms the search engines use to decide which ads to show first. That’s why, especially in a competitive industry, a combination of search engine optimization, pay per click advertising, and paid inclusion is going to get you the best bang for your buck.

Justin Prescott