During the first two week session of our eMarketing course at Chatham University, we have learned many concepts. Of those, the first is the difference between Pay Per Click (PPC) and Search Engine Optimization (SEO). I could have guessed what PPC was if I had a chance to think about it. But when it comes to SEO, I wouldn't have had a clue that this is what I see and typically look for when I'm clicking on a website. I certainly don't want to click on those sites in the slightly colored background because they're typically not going to take me where I want to go anyway. I want the organic results. The results that remove all or nearly all bias in my search located on the left and typically have no background color to them. That's almost as shown in the image below from the textbook we are using titled: eMarketing: The Essential Guide to Online Marketing, v. 1.0 AAP by Rob Stokes. There are some highlights to show the difference between the paid search results and the organic search results.
For a better idea of what I'm referring to, click here. Knowing the difference between the two is important when advertising because you have the opportunity to use your brain to create a site that appears at the top of the organic list or you can simply pay to have your site listed in the pay search results area. OK, it's not that cut and dry. But think of it as a ratio. Use more brain power to obtain higher organic listings and less financial spending. Use more spending and obtain a higher paid search result with a little thought used toward creativity. It's sort of like that. But my greater concern is if we are really saving money when we use our brain power to dive into the algorithm that search engines use to place sites at the top. There are a number of man power hours invested into keeping a site at the top of the list of the organic results. Would it just be easier to pay to have the results show up in the paid section? And are all people like me when it comes to choosing what I click when results appear? I'm simply an organic results driven person because I'm just not sure when the paid results will take me.
On the flip side,
there is the Pay Per Click advertising which is keyword based. This is
actually something I have been unable to wrap my arms around completely.
I see where it is very useful. Typically this is thought to have
more relevance to the paid results side of the search engine display. If
so, then there is a lot said to master this keyword or key phrase search that a
majority of web browsing individuals use on their initial trip to the web.
The question it brings up is this: if 80 percent of the people who
open a browser begin their journey through a web search engine to look for
results, then does PPC have a place when it comes to the organic results?
If so, how much of the organic results are influenced by PPC advertising?
Should we be spending this much time focusing on PPC if we are really
only interested in organic results?
First, let’s define PPC as it is mentioned at the techterms.com
website. If you click here, you’ll see that it can
include not just textual adds, but banner ads and Flash ads too. And if we're only paying for actual traffic, then maybe this is a good thing to look into. So, let’s assume that we have all the answers and
are able to use PPC efficiently and effectively. If that is true, then we’re talking about the
ability to maximize profits, conduct accurate cost analysis, perform modifications
and changes as circumstances change and always be at or
near the top of search results related to what we do. That's a great goal to have, but have I fully grasped the concept of what PPC is and what it can do?
I'd love to tell you that the thing I've learned was about marketing strategy and the various steps that it takes to create a marketing plan. However, that is something that has been taught and used for years as I worked with a multibillion dollar non-profit organization that constantly looked to change as our environment changed. But when you take that concept to the web - that's when we're talking more about holistic strategies. As Stokes would share in the eMarketing text, holistic strategies "allow companies to make the most of their budget through integrating online and offline activities." Again, holistic is not a foreign concept to me and usually means ALL aspects of a particular concept. In this case, we're talking about online and offline. That's like saying activities that happen when you are awake and when you're asleep. Outside of those two terms (online and offline or awake and asleep), not a lot of activity happens. This was helpful because the book that focuses on the eMarketing of business also recognizes the activities that happen away from the online world. People really do watch TV still, see an advertisement and drive to the store to purchase something from off the shelf.
As we have looked at things from the perspective of the buyer, which typically that's what we've experienced nearly 100% of the time, it's going to be interesting to view marketing from the perspective of the company or corporation. To see the competition and stay one step ahead. I look forward to seeing how web searches work from the perspective of the business. I also want to understand on an intimate level the idea behind AdWords by Google. I know there are several other search engines out there and all have their little differences from one-another. What I want is to take the next two weeks and understand how items on the internet react and interact with each other. I could be wrong, but I think a better understanding of Google's AdWords will help to shed some light on this concept. I really think that the presentation by Sarah Peduzzi on Search Engine Advertising and AdWords Mechanics in the Mellon Boardroom on Janyary 22, 2014 will go a long way in this learning process.
REFERENCES
Stokes, Rob. (2013). eMarketing: The Essential Guide to Online Marketing, v. 1.0. Flat World
Knowledge, Inc.
