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Businesses lack basic skills, perspective and critical performance measurements for successful search engine marketing - an industry estimated to explode from at least $4 billion in 2004 to $13.5 billion in 2007.
Search engine marketing ...
Fathom, a search engine marketing firm, reached those conclusions based on its industry experience and an in-depth assessment of national studies conducted over the last five years. The analysis is available in our search engine marketing firm's 27-page white paper, "Search Engine Marketing: Get in the Game." Download it for free at www.fathomSEO.com.
"Business executives need to pick up the pace," said Michael Murray, Fathom's vice president and author of the report. "They're using the wrong search terms, writing ineffective page titles, utilizing too few pages, and failing to prepare content that increases the odds of conversions for their search engine marketing efforts."
The document includes data from more than 20 diverse sources and poses a series of challenging questions companies can weigh to determine whether they're adequately equipped to take on or expand their search engine marketing program. It also features traps to avoid, primary SEO terminology and a section on ethical practices.
Practical advice on search engine marketing includes:
Pick the best keywords - learn common ways people search in your industry (2-3 word phrases are the most popular) when utilizing search engine marketing services.
Spread the keywords throughout the content - revise the text as necessary and load pages with at least 250 words to please search engines as part of your search engine marketing efforts.
Don't use frames in the page design - they make it tough for search engines to index the content and navigation.
Avoid long URLs - limit database-generated session IDs and parameters when the web site is created or use software to remove the numerous "=" and "?" from the page name.
Focus on original content - don't duplicate copy in the web site or from another web site you control (search engines hate mirrored content).
Build relevant links - web sites have a better reputation with search engines when more places with similar content link to them (hunt for specialty guides and directories).
Fathom's search engine marketing report summarizes leading obstacles, including:
Lack of Training
Companies overtax already squeezed staffs, demanding that their marketers be well-versed in all of the nuances of search engine marketing services. But limited training can curtail success. That is why our search engine marketing firm is here to help.Comfort with Profits
Busy with their operations, businesses may believe that search engine marketing can't do much to help boost their sales. They lack the motivation to get a good feel for their industry or whether their competition is getting valuable leads.Limited Vision
Some businesses only grasp part of SEM, perhaps focusing on a limited pay-per-click campaign while overlooking
SEO for natural rankings.In addition to not properly optimizing their web sites, companies miss search engine marketing opportunities to thoroughly measure web analytics, including visitor trends and activities ranging from registering for a newsletter to buying a product, Murray said. "People use search engines for far more than sports, games, CDs and adult entertainment," Murray said. "They search for and buy myriad products and services for commercial and residential use. Quite often, they don't even buy online. They use the Internet for research and make the purchase by phone or in person. Regardless, the Internet still plays a critical role."
Get Your FREE Search Engine Marketing White Paper Here. Murray, from Fathom's search engine marketing firm, is available to discuss the white paper, search engine marketing tactics, and trends. He can be reached at 216.861.5951 ext. 111 or michael@fathomSEO.com.Search engine marketing ...
Fathom, based in Cleveland, Ohio, is a market-leading search engine optimization firm dedicated to search engine marketing (SEM), with an emphasis on organic search engine optimization (SEO). As an SEO firm, we also provide pay-per-click (PPC) management, link building, web analytics, custom website development and permission-based marketing services.
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