Currently there are over 5 websites for every person on earth. This means two things, the first is that the internet has become very user friendly, and the second, you need to promote your website if you want it to be found online. When the topic of website promotion is brought up, three primary methods come to mind. These are SEO, PPC, and SMO. In case you are not familiar with those terms, no need to worry, we are going to cover them below.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization can be defined simply as the act of improving the internal and external factors of your website so that you can improve your position in the organic search results. This method involves tasks that can range from beginner through advanced. While this method of marketing is great, most of the time meaningful results will only come from professionals.
Pay Per Click Marketing (PPC)
PPC marketing is a form of advertising in which your ad is triggered by keyword search. These ads are then displayed to potential customers above and beside the organic rankings on the search results page. These ads are also found on websites as well. The benefit of this method is its’ user friendliness. While a novice cannot create a fully optimized campaign, almost anyone can setup an account and begin advertising right away.
Social Media Optimization (SMO)
Social media has quickly arrived as one of the primary marketing mediums in use today. Most social sites are completely free to use and can be setup pretty quickly. As the name implies, these sites are driven by social interaction, so to succeed with this method, you must be will to socialize with former, future, or potential clients. In the beginning, you should also be willing to dedicate a lot of time to build up your social presence as well. This includes gaining fans, likes, follower, and connections.
So, I am sure that about now you are wondering which method would work best for your business. Here is some food for thought. Social media, although very popular it is prone to losing popularity rapidly. Anyone remember MySpace? Search engine optimization and pay per click marketing are both very beneficial methods. Whenever a budget allows, it is my suggestion that you use a combination of the two. If you can only afford one, you must way the pro and cons of both, in the end, I would find a way to combine SEO and PPC, but that’s just me!