SEO
(Search Engine Optimization)
has earned its reputation for achieving the best
ROI for any kind of Internet promotion.
According to Pew
Internet & American Life, more than 80% of American
Net users go to search engines to find web information
-- over 300 million queries per day.
In fact, according
to Nielsen/Netratings, more than 75% of the country
visited search engines, portals and community sites
in March 2002 to find internet businesses.
A study by IMT
Strategies found that 45.8 percent (of users surveyed)
cited search engines as their top
method of discovering new sites. Word
of mouth was mentioned by 20.3 percent, followed by
random surfing at 19.9 percent. Banner ads (1
percent) trailed accidents (2.1 percent), newspapers
(1.4 percent), and television (1.4 percent).
Click
here for more detailed stats
In spite of these
numbers, many US companies have not yet undertaken optimization
as a marketing priority -- even though a multi-faceted
SEO campaign will cost
less than a single banner ad placed on
any major search engine or directory. (Do the
cost comparison yourself; contact any top engine for
ad rates.)
Secondly, a purchased
ad may run for only a few days or weeks. A solid search
engine placement, though hard-won, may continue for
as much as a
year without further attention.
Lastly, surfers
trust the engines as neutral
sources of information. Advertising can
be seen as hype or pitch-making of questionable value.
|
