By Amanda Bala

It was said in recent years by John W. Ellis that, “If paid search isn’t working, then you are doing something wrong”.  Looking at that statement today, with all the changes in the industry, does it still hold true?  The answer is an overwhelming, yes!  “The fact is, pay-per-click marketing should be working for you,” Ellis states.

What Ellis says is true.  There is a long-standing debate over which is more effective: Pay Per Click or Organic Search Engine Optimization.  As a marketing company with extensive experience using both formats, we support both models.  However, we support them under specific circumstances.

It has been proven that when using search engines, most Internet users click on the organic rankings first.  However, that does not mean that Pay Per Click is not beneficial.  It takes a lot of time, effort and expertise to rank organically under different keywords and key phrases other than the name of your business or URL.  It does not happen overnight.  Pay Per Click, on the other hand, does. 

We recommend that it is best to build a new website with organic SEO tactics in place for long-term results.  However, until you are consistently ranked at the top of your desired search term pages, it is beneficial to utilize a Pay Per Click model as well to rank in the short term.  That way your business at least has some exposure rather than no exposure.  Once your organic kicks in and you are ranked at no charge, then you can instantaneously turn your PPC off.

The other main misconception of PPC is that it is expensive.  How can this be true when you choose your own price and are in control at all times of what you spend?  That is not to say that some keywords are not more expensive than others.  However, if those do not work into your budget, then you do not have to choose them.  Or you choose to use them on a limited basis.  In the end, you are paying for clicks, not page views… which, if done correctly, can become actual leads.  Since you determine your own price tag and only pay for the clicks you receive, it is up to you to determine how much you want to spend on a lead. 

Although organic SEO is the way to go in the long run, do not count PPC out for the short-term.  It gives your business exposure in an important place that you would otherwise not be seen… a place where people are searching for what you do.

By Amanda Bala

Has this ever happened to you?  You are looking to learn more information about a specific product, so you go onto Google and begin a search.  You enter the product you want to find and the list of websites comes up.  From there you choose what looks to be your best option.  However, when you click on the site, you are taken to the homepage and not the page with the product information you were searching for. From there it is up to you to search through the website to find what you are looking for.  This can be extremely frustrating for the consumer and in some instances even cost the company a potential sale.  The solution to this problem is what is commonly called a landing page.

A landing page in the simplest terms is the page that a visitor “lands on.”  It is making sure that the visitor is taken to the exact page they are searching for when clicking a link.  A landing page very rarely is the homepage. 

There are two types of landing pages: reference and transactional.

A reference landing page presents information that is relevant to the person visiting the site. These pages can display text, images, relevant links or other specific informational elements.

A transactional landing page seeks to persuade a visitor to complete a transaction.  This can be making a purchase, filling out a form or interacting with advertisements that appear on the landing page.  A visitor taking the desired action on a transactional landing page is referred to as a conversion. The efficiency or quality of the landing page can be measured by its conversion rate, the percentage of visitors who complete the desired action. 

Let’s look at a situation where a landing page would be useful.  For example, take Delicious Marketing.  If you found a link directing you to a specific Delicious Marketing article and clicked it, you would expect to be taken directly to that article, correct?  If we had the correct landing page set up, then that is what would happen.  Now, what would happen if you clicked on the link and instead of directing you to the article, it took you to our home page?  Most likely, you would be annoyed and probably leave the site and mumble a few choice words cursing Delicious Marketing for wasting your time.  Even if you did stay on and try to find the article, you would probably still not be pleased with our company for making you take extra steps.

Landing pages are a simple way to make it easier on a visitor.  And if a landing page is not used correctly, it is a great way to upset and annoy visitors, and potentially lose a sale. With all the different sites consumers have to choose from, don’t you want to make sure you give them exactly what they are searching for?