The Tak Team Blog

There has been a continuing debate on the efficacy of Search Engine Optimization(SEO) versus that of PPC Advertising Management.

My two cents on the topic…

SEO Positives:

More visitors to search page are likely to click on these links than sponsored or paid links (we have observed that the ratio is 2:1)
Since, this involves a lot of website tuning and making the website search friendly, the website that ranks high on organic listings(through SEO) normally has (arguably) a higher relevance and greater chances of conversion.

The long term costs are lower. The only cost involved is the (other than the obvious time cost) SEO consultation fee (typically, $50,000 to $200,000 for a 25 page SEO work). If averaged out over 24 months, this would mean $3000-$4000/month(average).

SEO Negatives(cons):

SEO takes time. Even the best SEO in business would take a minimum of 4-6 months to get your site up on the search listings for an averagely competitive category.

Unpredictability: This is the BIGGEST NEGATIVE. There is no guarantee that a top position site would retain it’s top position for a sizable time span. Google changes the logic for compiling and displaying the search results once a year (approximately) and keeps updating its index(regular since mid-2003). (Useful articles: http://dance.efactory.de/; http://www.webworkshop.net/florida-update.html)

Ethical Search Engine Optimization firms: This again poses a big challenge to the industry. The ratio of ethical SEO’s who know their trade to the unethical ones who indulge in unethical practices to get the site up in the organic listings, is 1: 1000!

Good SEO is NOT CHEAP - it CAN NOT be CHEAP: Typically, SEO means a lot of hard - continuous - effective work to get the site up on the listings. NO ONE can guarantee a position within a definite time period. Typical engagement fee ( annual) starts from $50k and depends on the number of web pages being optimized and the number of keywords these are being optimized for. Also, this is continuous work… it has to be, because of the regular changes that Google does in the way that it compiles and displays sites for keywords.

Pay-Per-Click(PPC) Search Advertising -Positives:

PPC is IMMEDIATE: The website ad can be up in Google sponsored links (https://adwords.google.com/select/) within minutes. In Yahoo Search(Overture) the ad is live within 4 days(max).

PPC is MEASURABLE: The click and the resultant action can be tracked back to cost,

PPC ad is more useful to an online buyer: The websites that advertise here pay to get listed. Normally, any website would do this only if they can SELL SOMETHING to the visitors. ROI matters.

PPC results CAN BE CONTROLLED: It’s hard work - it’s 24*7 work - however, it is far more controllable and predictable than organic listings.
PPC impacts the “brand profile”. This is a statement that is being tested for veracity. I believe in this because: If I am searching for widgets using certain keywords and one particular website’s ads pop up for each keyword and when I click on the ad it takes me to the relevant location on the website… I tend to form a connect between visibility - relevance - usefulness - all these impact the website/brand profile.

PPC Negatives(Cons):

PPC Can be EXPENSIVE if not managed well

PPC is threatened by CLICK FRAUD (something that can burn budgets very quickly if the campaign is not managed rigorously)

PPC space is very competitive and the bid prices are rising, literally every month

Only 1 out of 3 “search page visitors” are likely to click a sponsored link/paid ad

Like in SEO space, there are many firms that promise more than they deliver. Fortunately, the results are easily measurable and thus the ineffective firms can be sorted out.

I would not like to bias the reader with “what I think is better”. Every business owner has a need - or at least should have a need - to get her site listed on the search engines.

Based on the pros and cons of SEO and PPC, it’s up to them to make the decision.

Tulika Bose is a Director in NetElixir Inc. NetElixir specializes in Real Time Paid Search Campaign optimization. The firm is headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. NetElixir manages campaigns for search advertisers in travel, telecom, retail, and financial services sector. The firm has consistently lived up to its claim of delivering a 20% higher performance rate than any comparable service or tool available today.

Online business has been one of the many ways to earn money today as it has been said we are in a financial crisis. But, with online business, there will come a time that it will be very hard to get traffic to your site and sell your product. Much to my dismay, I have experienced such a thing. It was very disappointing when my first few weeks within the business, I had so little sales. I wondered why my site didn’t have much traffic yet the things I sell were quite cheap. I tried a couple of things to optimise my website yet traffic was still not enough to drive all consumers to my site.
Then, I came up with Search Engine Optimisation Melbourne. But now the problem is, how do I do that? What does it mean? What are the advantages of using the search engine optimisation? Any useful tips on how to achieve maximum potential with this program?
I know I’m a real pain when it comes to computers and the internet. And if someone is kind enough to explain to me what it’s all about please do try to hit me up. I really need this. I need to know how to become successful with my online business and it looks like the search engine optimisation program looks promising. It would be really great if somehow will be able to help me.

Search engine traffic is the best traffic You can get for your online Business. So if you are running a Home Based Business with an Online Presence why wouldn’t you do everything possible to gain a Top Search Engine Ranking. One of the Simplest things you can do is Create a Google Site map.

Does Creating a Google Site Map Get you a Higher Google Ranking? Probably not by itself?

Does Creating a Google Site Map and Telling Google About it get your Work at Home Business Web Page Indexed Faster?

Google Visited My Home Based Business Web Page the Same Day I Uploaded my Site Map. I have to believe anything you can do make it easier for Google to Index you will help your Online Business get a Google Ranking. Of Course you need to follow other Google rules regarding content and Back Links

Using the free tools detailed in the 4 steps that follow, you can have a Google Sitemap in less then 10 Minutes and you do not need to know XML.

Step 1 Create a Google Site map Account

The First thing you need to do is create a Google sitemap account. This is as Simple as going to the following websites clicking on create an Account and then just filling in a form
(https://www.google.com/webmasters/sitemaps/login)

Step 2 Create Your Site map

You do not need to know XML to create a Google Sitempap. Not with this free web based tool. Simply go to the below web site type in your domain and it will automatically spider your site and create a Google Site Map for you.
http://www.sitemapspal.com/

Step 3 Upload your Site map to Your Web Page

Once you have created an XML Sitemap using the free tool in Step 2 you would just upload it to your web page either by FTP or by using the Cpanel from your Web Host.

Step 4 Add Your SiteMap to Google

The last step in this process is to tell Google about your Sitemap. You simply Log In to your Google site map account and add the URL of you Site Map. Be sure and check back a few hours later to make sure it uploaded correctly.
https://www.google.com/webmasters/sitemaps/login

Now be sure and repeat the above 4 Steps whenever you change your website.

Mike Makler has been Marketing Online Since 2001, When he built his first Sales organization of over 100,000 Members.

Subscribe to Mike’s Newsletter here:
http://www.ewguru.com/hbiz/list-sign-up.html

More Articles by Mike:
http://weeklytipsandtricks.blogspot.com

Copyright © 2005-2006 Mike Makler

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or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are
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As an SEO expert, I do site evaluations daily. It amazes me how people are willing to put Google ads all over their pages in the interest of earning a few extra bucks without considering the consequences to their business. Think about it. If you are selling a service or product, why would you allow the ads of your competitors on your site? Are you willing to sacrifice a sale for the few pennies you’ll make if someone clicks on the ads? It’s ok to include Google ads in some instances, even I have some ads on my site. Knowing where and when to allow google ads on your pages is key to maximizing revenue from your traffic while minimizing the chances of lost business.

Google ads are based on the content that is on your site. Because your content is about a particular product or service, the ads on your site will also be about similar products or services. If the ads are compelling enough, people will click them and leave your site. Sure, you’ll make some chump change, but how much would you have made on a sale if you hadn’t given your customers a window to the competition?

Many site owners know where to put ads to get the most exposure but not where to place them for minimized risk. Places on the top of the page, side and middle are the most common areas for Google ads. An ad on the top of the page will be seen before your content. If you absolutely must place ads, at least put your content first and place the ads on the bottom. If they’ve already looked through your material and haven’t found what they were looking for, you can still make a little revenue on their way out.

Many websites don’t sell products or services, but instead rely on Google ads for revenue. For these businesses, Google ads make perfect sense. Other businesses sell products for which Google ads can still be a benefit. For instance, if a business sells a specialized product that can be found nowhere else, Google ads aren’t going to be a source of competition. Perhaps you sell an aftermarket car product that you yourself manufacture. If there is nothing else like it on the market, why not allow other aftermarket manufacturer’s ads on your site? Your customers won’t find your product on another site, yet they might be looking for other products in addition to yours that you don’t sell. Another reason to allow competing Google ads on your site is if you are certain that the products or services you are offering are a great value. If you are cheaper than the competition, and you know it, it’s a boon to your business to encourage your potential customers to comparison shop. In all likelihood, they will come back to you to make a purchase and you will have made a little extra money in the process.

You are probably saying to yourself, “Joe, we can block ads we don’t want on our site”. My reply is…”Why have ads at all, then?”. Think about this: blocking your competitor’s ads will not only reduce the number of ads to display on your site, but also decrease the relevance of the remaining ads. The more urls you block the less the chance of the ads being relevant. So what’s the point of having them at all? In that case, they’ll serve no purpose but to clutter up your pages.

What do you think it says about your business if you are using Google ads to generate extra income? I tell you what it says to me. It says you’re not selling. If you’re not selling, chances are your products and services, prices or website are not up to par or your site hasn’t been optimized and you have no traffic.

In general, sites that sell services or products should be pushing their own stuff and not someone else’s. When did business change? Just because you can make money placing ads on your site doesn’t mean it is always (or ever) in your best interest.

Copyright © Herman Dias http://www.Money-Earner.com

Since search engines are the first stop for people on the Internet looking for goods or services, the position your website appears in search results is an important factor. If your URL shows up far down the results list, the chances of the consumer never finding you increase incrementally. Once you achieve a high search engine position, it is essential that you make sure you maintain the high ranking you have worked so hard to achieve.

This means you must come up with a strategy to monitor your search engines positions. This strategy is crucial to the success of any marketing campaign. Think of your search engine positions as your online portfolio. Would you let your stock portfolio be ruled by chance and market fluctuations, or would you keep close tabs on your stocks so you could buy and sell when the time is right? This is the way you must consider your search engines positions.

Be aware that at first, after you have launched your search engine campaign and done all the right things to increase your rankings, you will most likely see a continual upward climb. What you need to be on the lookout for is the moment that upward climb reaches a plateau. When this happens, your search engine position campaign moves into stage two, the monitoring and protecting stage.

In stage two, do not be concerned about the short-term fluctuations in your positions. These are similar to the subtle rising and falling of stocks in a portfolio. Short-term movement is an integral part of the whole process. It’s the long-term changes that you must watch for and prepare to act on immediately.

Analyzing the long-term trends of search engines positions is imperative. The way in which search engines rank websites may change at the drop of hat. If you are unaware of these changes - many of which are subtle yet can be deadly to your ranking - your position may drop to the bottom of the list before you can get your bearings. To prevent this kind of precipitous drop, you must create a system to monitor your positions on a monthly basis. Devise a chart to keep tabs on your top ranking positions or your top pages, and make sure to watch “the market” closely.

Each search engine uses a formula to compute website rankings. When a search engine changes this formula in any way, it may raise or lower your ranking. Some search engines use a number of different formulas, rotating them so that a formula doesn’t become overused or outdated. Depending on which formula is being applied, your search engine position may suddenly drop or rise in rank significantly. Therefore, you must check your positions frequently in order to catch when a search engine changes formulas and what effect it has on your positions.

You must also deal with your competition - a crucial factor you must always be vigilant about. Your competitor’s position may suddenly rise, automatically lowering your position. Or their position may drop, pushing your position higher. Each month, expect position changes due to the continual changes that are occurring in your competitor’s position, and be prepared to adjust your marketing strategy to compensate for decreased rankings. Monitoring these fluctuations will also give you vital information about how to improve your website to increase your position in search results.

Of course, you must discern what the most popular search engines are in order for your monitoring efforts to be effective. Right now, there are ten popular search engines that direct most of Internet traffic to your sites. The challenge you face is that these top ten may change from month to month.

This means that your must not only monitor your search engine positions, but you must also keep track of the ranking popularity of the search engines you are monitoring. Find out which search engines people use most frequently every month and be sure to live in the present! People are fickle about their favorite search engines, and it takes constant vigilance to follow their dalliances. The search engines they loved when you first launched your campaign may be old news in the next few months. You must adjust your list of engines according to the whims of the Internet users. Check out http://www.searchenginewatch.com/reports/netratings.html for a current list of website favorites.

Another factor to monitor carefully is a sudden drop of your positions in all search engines. This is not the same as monthly fluctuations - this is a neon red warning sign! It could mean a number of different things.

It all your search engine positions have plummeted, it may indicate that search engines spiders - those sneaky programs that seek out your site and rank their positions - have found some type of problem with your website. If you have recently changed the code, for instance, the spider may become utterly confused and consequently drop your positions disastrously. If a spider creeps up on your website when it is down for adjustments or changes, you may actually disappear from a search engine index entirely. Or a search engine may drastically change its formula, and suddenly all of your website come up as irrelevant. If that search engine is a current favorite, it may create a domino effect, causing all of your position to drop in all search engines.

Some search engines rely on the results from other search engines, and it is vital that you know which engines these are and keep track of all the engines they influence. The biggest problem here is that search engines will sometimes change affiliations, and this can create a major shift in the geography of the Internet. For example, recently Yahoo decided to display only results gleaned from Google. So you must not only monitor your own positions, but you must keep abreast of seismic shifts in the landscape of the Internet as a whole.

Finally, pay attention to your keywords. Keywords are the foundation bricks of the entire search engine system, and they demand individual scrutiny in your monitoring efforts. If you have found that a number of your positions have plummeted, it may mean that a page of your website has become invisible or inaccessible to search engine spiders. Or the competition for that particular keyword or phrase has recently rocketed into outer space. In either case, you must act quickly and efficiently to regain lost ground.

Your search engine marketing campaign is an investment. If costs you time and money on a continual basis. Protect this investment as diligently as you would your financial portfolio. In the same way, track your positions from an objective perspective, and monitor your positions on a regular basis. Make sure your time and effort reap rewards by keeping your eye on the big picture - your long-term marketing campaign.

NOTE:You have full permission to reprint this article within your website or newsletter as long as you leave the article fully intact and include the “About The Author” resource box. Thanks!

Introduction

The Google Sandbox is a term applied to the phenomenon experienced by many new websites that delays the sites inclusion within the main Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS) of Google. Often new websites can find themselves confined to the ‘Sandbox’ for 6-9 months, during which time traffic to the site is severely compromised. The Google Sandbox is therefore usually seen as a frustrating inevitability by webmasters and one for which there is no quick easy solution.

My recent observations however have led me to believe that the time your website spends in the Google Sandbox should be seen as a golden opportunity rather than a frustrating inevitability.

Into the Sandbox

Many webmasters respond to their websites confinement to the Sandbox by spending endless hours forever checking the listings in Googles results pages for any sign of their website. Not only is this a waste of precious time but also serves only to increase the frustration caused by the Sandbox. Other webmasters more sensibly focus their time and effort improving the Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) of their website in order to improve its rankings within other search engines such as MSN, Yahoo, Ask Jeeves and others. Although these may not be as widely used as the Google search engine, they don’t have the same aging delay of the Sandbox that Google does. Therefore, achieving good listings in these search engines early in a websites life can at least generate some traffic and hopefully some sales whilst confined to the Sandbox.

Earlier this year the Tsunami disaster in Asia forced me to change the name of my web development business from Tsunami-Site-Design to Pixelwave Design. I had to register a new domain name, build a new website and start from scratch with my web promotion. The new site was an ideal candidate for confinement to the Google Sandbox, and sure enough after an initial day or two of good rankings the new site couldn’t be found in a Google search for any of my keywords. A search for the business name did bring the new site up in first place though so I was safe in the knowledge that my site was contained within the Google database but the lack of inclusion for my keywords suggested that my site had been confined to the Sandbox. The inclusion of my own personal site within the Google Sandbox gave me a great opportunity to monitor and track its progress.

The first thing I noticed was the high frequency with which a Googlebot spidered the pages of my site. The Googlebots were visiting a few times everyday and visiting all the pages of the site. It struck me that if Google had gone to the trouble of writing and implementing the ‘Sandbox’ filter as part of their algorithm and regularly spidering the sites within the Sandbox then the Sandbox wasn’t simply an area into which new sites get put in order to delay their inclusion in the SERPS. Instead it can be considered as a probationary period for new websites during which Google pays close attention to the sites development.

This means that as far as Google is concerned, your websites time in the Sandbox may well be one of the most important times in its development. Rather than seeing this time as a frustrating inevitability you should see it as an opportunity to really show Google how your website can shine. The Google Sandbox should be a time to make the most of all the attention your site is getting from Google and show the search engine what it wants to see.

The Steps to Success

Now that we have decided that Google is actually paying your site a good deal of attention whilst it is in the Sandbox it is time to see how we can make the most of this Golden Opportunity.

The first thing to do is plan ahead and get your site into the Sandbox as soon as possible, so attracting this attention from Google. Don’t wait until your website is built in all its glory before registering a domain name and uploading your site. Instead make sure the first thing you do is register your domain name, set up a hosting account and go live with one or two pages explaining what your site is about and what can be expected from it as it develops.

Next get the Googlebot to visit these embryonic pages so that Google is aware of the new site as soon as possible. There is no need to submit your site manually or repeatedly to search engines, a couple of inbound links (IBL’s) from other sites that are regularly spidered will be sufficient to get the Googlebot calling. Once the robots have paid an initial visit they will return.

You may be lucky and find that your site gets straight into the main SERPS, but if it is a new domain name and new site then it is likely that before long you will find your new creation in the Sandbox where it will receive a great deal of attention from the Googlebot. Now is the time to be proactive with your website development, don’t sit back patiently waiting to be released from the Sandbox, instead make the most of your time in there and show Google the potential of your website.

Content is King

The first thing you need to do is continue the development of your website. Regularly add new pages packed full of relevant content to your site. As far as search engines are concerned, ‘content is king’. Search Engines exist to provide their users with links to content relevant to their search criteria, therefore they are always on the lookout for websites that contain plenty of good quality, regularly updated relevant content. Of course, good quality, relevant content will also be beneficial to your websites human visitors, which at the end of the day is your number one priority. Add plenty of new, relevant content of interest to real visitors and the Googlebot will thank you for it.

Linking Strategy

Next you need to develop and implement a strategy for obtaining a network of inbound links. Googles algorithm relies heavily on link popularity so it is likely that it pays attention to the number of IBL’s your site gains whilst in the Sandbox. Don’t sit back waiting for people to link to your site, get out there and be proactive. As always relevance is the key, and a sensible linking strategy whilst in the Sandbox will be noticed by the Googlebot.

There are numerous ways to generate inbound links and I have covered these in previous articles. However, things rarely stand still for long in the world of Search Engine Optimisation and latest research seems to suggest that simply getting huge amounts of IBL’s whilst in the Sandbox may no longer be sufficient. It now seems that the rate of accumulation of IBL’s may be important. Google is now thought to pay attention to the rate of accumulation of IBL’s and expects to see them develop in what it considers a natural, organic manner. This means that suddenly gaining a huge number of inbound links may be frowned upon by Google. Instead your linking strategy should be a sustained effort aimed at gaining new IBL’s from relevant websites over a long period of time.

Summary

Although the Google Sandbox is still a frustrating inevitability and there is no quick fix way limit the amount of time a website spends confined to it, patiently sitting by waiting for this confinement to end is a waste of what could be a golden opportunity. Google pays a lot of attention to sites in the Sandbox making confinement to the Sandbox an ideal time to really let your website shine. During this time give Google what it wants to see; regularly updated relevant content, lots of new pages and a sustained increase in the number of inbound links. Not only could this improve your sites ranking within the SERPS once its confinement to the Sandbox is over, but it will pay dividends for your site in general by providing its visitors with the information they require.

Alan Cole runs http://www.pixelwave.co.uk, a one-person web design studio. His aim is to provide cost effective website design production and maintenance by offering professional web solutions that stand out from the crowd. Increasingly his work involves website promotion and Search Engine Optimisation as well as training courses on all aspects of web design and promotion.