Online Marketing - Sem Techniques for the 21st Century

Search Engine Marketing

Executive Summary

The success of a World Wide Web (WWW) based marketing strategy requires the development of a high quality web site and a clever mix of methods to direct traffic to it, Porter (2007). Of these methods of directing traffic, perhaps the most exploited is the search engine, Davies (2008). Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is the strategy of designing a web site so that when users search for information relevant to its content, the site returned will be as close to the top of the search results list as possible, Plosker (2004). Historically, instead of using search engines, users were more likely to visit a favourite portal site or work their way through directory links, or bookmark to an appropriate and relevant web site, Webb (2009). Therefore, marketers concentrated on generating traffic with banner ads, pop-ups, and conventional media to their sites, Webb (2009). However, in recent years, users are using search engines which offer better and quicker search results, Webb (2009).

Search engine marketing differs significantly from all other methods of attracting WWW visitors because search engines provide basic services for free to information seekers and providers alike, Davies (2008). The downside is that web designers have no control over how search engines work. Designers must design the methodology of each search engine, choose which one(s) is best suited to their purposes and tweak the design of their sites accordingly, Davies (2008). The focus of this report is to outline the history of search engine marketing and the techniques and tools of search engine marketing.

Table of Contents

Executive Summary 2

Table of Contents 3

Introduction 4

History of Search Engines and Search Engine Marketing 5

Techniques of Search Engine Marketing 6

Tools of Search Engine Marketing 9

Conclusion 12

References 13

Introduction

The internet is a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication facilities, consisting of interconnect networks using standardised communication protocols (Oxford Dictionaries 2010). As a universal platform for information exchange, the World Wide Web (WWW) exists in no small part to provide a channel through which businesses