Re: Putting all your money on search engine keywords?

From: Robert Ross <rross_at_AdventuresMarketing.com>
Date: Mon 10 May 2004 07:44:42 -0500

<<If a search engine delivers results that are by and large not that
useful, then the banner and PPC ads may serve a purpose, because the
search engine results don't really hit the spot.>>

I believe that search engines are losing the relevancy battle on their
regular listings. Even Google, who used to be one of the most relevant,
is now clogged with pages and pages of redundant listings from zillions
on affiliates hoping to make their two cents on everything under the sun
- and as many of you know, 95% of all affiliates are worthless - yet
they clog the search engines. Lately I have also noticed that other
search engines (or affiliates masquerading as search engines), are also
adding to this glut of usefless information from redunant, indirect
sources, making it harder than ever to find meaningful, direct sources
of the information or products you are looking for. If you did a search
on widgets on a search engine you trust (like Google), you probably
don't want to see page after page of listings helping you to find what
you are looking for on a diffferent search engine ("Find widgets here"
or "search for widgets here"). That's why you went to Google - to find
it on Google. Worse, the these marketing miscreants seem to have found a
way to get around boolean search parameters and are always at the top of
the list, so can't get rid of them with negatives like "-find" or
"-search."

The upshot is, as I have thought for a long time (and dispite some
recent research geing publisized probably by SEO firms) that SEO is a
costly, inneffective way to promote a business website - since basically
you are not in control of the result. Though it is still an important
part of the marketing strategy, ultimately you can't control it . You
don't control actual placement and if you do get good position, you have
to work hard regularly to maintain it since SEO is a moving target,
especially with search engines constantly changing technology to combat
abuse and increase relevancy.

The only way I know currently to be effective, get a good ROI, and
control results, and importantly to measure, is pay per click
advertising. I think the consumer is becoming aware of this as well. PPC
advertisers will not bid on keywords that are not highly relevant.
Period. So the most relevant listing become the paid listing. Free
listing follow the old saw of "you get what you paid for." Users are
discovering this more and more.

Sorry for the rant...but this is just so frustrating. It's getting almost
as bad a spam! Though for PPC users, it is actually an opportunity! I
think more and more people will be relying on PPC ig the search engines
let this go on. Even if they find ways to prevent it, PPC is still more
efective, more relevant and more within your direct control.

Regards,
Bob Ross
Adventures Marketing, LLC
www.AdventuresMarketing.com





Received on Mon May 10 2004 - 07:44:42 CDT