Internet Search Marketing

Fundamental Search Marketing Strategy

Search marketing for websites that need to be competitive begins with an orderly, step-by-step process:

1. Thorough online competition research and analysis by experienced professionals.
2. Target audience identification — targeting niche audiences is often preferable to targeting a broad demographic.
3. Targeted search term ("keyword") identification — terms that target audiences will use to search for a client's products and services. 5 or 6 targeted search terms for each of a site's landing pages are almost always enough.
4. Development of a competitive Internet strategy that is reflected in a detailed outline of the new website.
5. Development of precise, concise, search-term-rich content for the new website.
6. Finally — because form follows function — development of a graphic design for the new website.

The content of your website is much more important than your site's graphic design. If your site is easy to navigate and visually clean, you've taken care of the most important design issues. But if your content is deficient, a great design won't help you compete online.

Your graphic design is not a factor in the placement of your site on search engine results pages. Few visitors to your site will make a decision to stay (or hit the Back button) based on your graphic design — unless it's distracting or confusing. Most first-time visitors to your site just want to find out if you offer what they're looking for.

Long-Term Search Marketing Strategy

Effective search marketing for a website that needs to be competitive includes a long-term commitment to:

• updating your existing website content at least once every quarter
• adding new useful information to your site every month or two
• updating your competition research at least once every quarter
• analyzing the traffic on your site at least once a month
• a linking strategy — an ongoing effort to get relevant sites to link to yours

The Mark Andrew Group offers all these search marketing services to its clients, and we are prepared to assist with social marketing on the Internet as well.