Did you know that over 88 percent of US internet users, age 14 and up, browsed or researched products online in 2012? In today’s world, more and more consumers are turning to the internet to find the products and services that they need. This trend is only the rise with advent of mobile devices: as of 2012 over 70 million users shop using a mobile device such as a cellphone or tablet computer. Therefore, online marketing is an integral part of running a business. Important aspects of online marketing include SEO, social media marketing, web design, and blogging. In fact, companies that blog have 434 percent more indexed pages, resulting in more leads.
SEO, or Search engine optimization, is a particularly important aspect of online marketing, as consumers are increasingly using search engines to find products and services to purchase. In fact, according to SEMPO, the North American search engine marketing industry will be valued at nearly $23B by the end of 2012. It is important to note that Google rankings are especially important, as Google control a considerable component of the search engines market share. Interestingly, the very first Google “doodle” dates back to 1998, and depicts the Burning Man. It was intended as a sort of out of office message to let people know that co founders Brin and Page were at the famous Nevada festival.
Studies show that when consumers utilize search engines they typically click on the first link that meets their criteria and are unlikely to scroll through pages and pages of results. Therefore, the higher a website appears in search engines results pages, the more likely a consumer is to visit that website. Furthermore, it is also critical that a website appears in organic, as opposed to sponsored, rankings. SEO, which raises a website’s ranking in search engines results, is thus a crucial part of effective online marketing.