Successful online visibility is all about search engine rankings. If your website doesn’t get found, or is buried on the 50th page of search results, (Yep…they really have that many pages.) you are simply not going to get the traffic you need to see significant sales. Though the numbers are not static, consider these figures:
- 85% of Google search participants never go past the first page of results.
- 90% of searchers never go past the third page.
With percentages like that, the first page of results is definitely the real estate you should be targeting. The problem is how to get there.
The Use of Organic SEO for Rankings
Organic SEO is the process used to obtain a natural listing in search results. It is called organic because there is no money being paid to the search engine for higher rankings. In fact, you cannot purchase higher rankings within the major search engines. They rank on a complex algorithm designed to seek out and list quality content that offers a great user experience.
Organic SEO is accomplished with the use of multiple techniques.
- Use of keywords and keyword research
- Backlinks (links to your site from outside sites or directories)
- Writing content relevant to readers.
Great care should be taken when choosing and SEO strategy as Google is constantly updating their algorithms to penalize sites that are overly “spammy” or produce a poor user experience.
For this reason, creating quality content that is relevant (by the use of keyword research) and helpful; that actually answers the questions people are asking, is the best way to get ranked organically over time. However, it does take time, and does not produce quick results.
Supplementing Organic SEO with Adwords.
While organic SEO can take time and be very expensive if contracted out to and SEO firm, the use of Adwords can be a cost effective way to supplement your traffic until the natural search results catch up. For the entrepreneur or small business, Google Adwords can produce targeted results without breaking the bank. Consider the following benefits of an Adword strategy.
- No purchase minimum
- Only pay when someone clicks on your ad
- Set the maximum amount you will pay per day.
- Ability to stop or suspend the ad whenever you choose.
The ads, once purchased are implemented very quickly and will soon show up on the side and top of relevant search results. The placement of your ad will depend on the amount of money you are willing to pay per click as opposed to other advertisers in the same keyword. Still, considering the cost of hiring a SEO company and waiting till organic search results kick in, Adwords can give you the kick-start you need.
A Balanced Approach
The best approach to SEO is a balanced approach. There are no easy ways to rank highly in search results, especially if you have chosen a highly competitive keyword: at least no ways that don’t risk getting caught and penalized by Google. Therefore no one method should comprise your entire strategy. Hopefully the information in this article will help you develop the right approach.
