Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) versus Search Engine Marketing

We have always been happy to undertake Search Engine Marketing campaigns for our clients, but not before we have pointed out the benefits of the alternative - Search Engine Optimisation.

There is some confusion between the two and companies often lump them together. Marketing is actually paying search engines for the “ownership” of specific keywords or the less expensive route of “adwords” campaigns or similar.

I see optimisation as more organic and easily achievable with the right approach.

According NMA today, figures from web measurement company, Hitwise, reveal that UK internet traffic to online retailers from paid search has decreased from 10.1% of all traffic in April 2008 to 8.4% of all traffic in April this year.

In contrast, traffic to those same retailers’ sites from natural search (optimized sites) has increased to 30.9% from 26.5%.

As long as you choose your keywords carefully, I think a well designed, written and optimised site can achieve a great deal.

I recently gave a presentation at the Museums & Heritage Show in which I highlighted the basic elements of good optimisation.

The Hitwise report just confirms what I’ve always said. If you want to get the best from your site from a marketing perspective, have a look at the PDF of my PowerPoint presentation of drop me a line at: richard@rightdynamic.com!