The argument for search engine marketing is stronger now than it was a year ago

There was a time when companies would commission a website build with the rationale being simply “because my competitor has one.” Little or no thought was given to what was expected from the website or where it would fit within the marketing mix. And so a report from The Office of National Statistics that broadband now accounts for 69.2% of all UK online connections is vindication of how far we have embraced the Internet as part of our everyday lives.

It’s not surprising that the unstoppable march of the Internet has been likened to the Industrial Revolution; but like any revolution there are winners and losers, not least in how a small to medium business effectively promotes its wares.

It was relatively straightforward at one time. A cornerstone of any firm’s marketing was Yellow Pages. Sure it cost a fortune (still does) but everyone knew where they stood – a big company with deep pockets would buy a page, leaving a one-man show with a box ad and the rest inbetween, but in the right section nevertheless.

How times change. Savvy companies are realising that more of their business then ever is coming from the web and are targeting their marketing accordingly. Where once good old Yellow Pages and local papers would have been the starting point for most people looking to move house for instance, another recent survey from Rightmove shows that over 80% of property searches begin on line.

Now consider the role search engines play in connecting buyers. Almost 90% of websites are discovered first via a search engine. But just 10% of all visitors to Google, MSN or Yahoo venture beyond the first page – and given the explosion in websites, the competition has never been tougher.

Natural search is by definition a long-term commitment. It can take months for a brand new website to make a realistic impression in search engine rankings. Websites that are coming towards the end of their first year of a search engine marketing campaign are in a strong position – they have been campaigned and the first results are beginning to show; performing keywords can be exploited and the non-performers weeded out. By the end of that all important first year, there will be a good foundation of links to gain the site popularity. To simply terminate a search engine marketing after the first year will not only put a damper on results, but will negate the investment made to date.

Vertical Leap’s clients are finding that search engine marketing is becoming central to their marketing activities. The marketing director of a client who recently signed his company up for the fourth year running simply called it “indispensable.” Over 60% of all first time visitors to their website come from search engines and such is the longevity of the campaign that SEM is a major consideration in capitalising on these results and in website evolution.

Themed pages have been devised and built to capture specific requests; reports and press releases rich in keywords are regularly uploaded; the most popular entry pages are regularly updated with fresh, relevant content – and of course all this activity is tracked, monitored and more recommendations regularly made by Vertical Leap to maintain and improve ranking positions with keywords and phrases to drive brand awareness and of course, those valuable conversions.

And although this forward looking company realises the value of search engine marketing, the main focus is always on satisfying the requirements of new prospects and maintaining the expectations of existing clients; nevertheless, the overall result of this has been a website that has grown hugely in terms of resource and as an invaluable resource to that company. In many ways the synergy is perfect – the company has a more effective, customer focused website, and all additions, be they new press releases through to new sections, are specifically built with the maximum optimisation to search engines in mind: the ultimate double edged sword?

Finally, there is the small matter of competition. Now they are established in the search engine results they have stolen a march on their competition, but that advantage needs relentless campaigning, especially as some of the players are waking up to the potential of search.

Effective, ethical search engine marketing is a long haul, but given the seemingly insatiable demand of the market arena online – that broadband penetration of almost 70% is surely a clear indication of where your customers are looking – has there ever been a better time to make sure your website is being campaigned to make it as prominent as possible in the search engines?