Logan Baker
Internet marketing generally refers to selling that takes place only over the Internet. That is, marketing activities that companies do primarily over the Internet are termed Internet marketing. Digital online marketing is like this, too, but involves some non-digital elements as well. So, in a way, Internet marketing encompasses the three aspects of e-business: Web presence, which is done primarily via websites; access to databases, both static and dynamic, for which databases are an integral part; and interaction, which takes place primarily via email and other electronic means.
Search engine optimization, or SEO, was almost always considered an adjunct to other forms of internet marketing, such as pay-per-click advertising. However, search engine optimization has grown in importance since its inception. It enables sites to gain higher rankings in search engines for specific key phrases. This results in much higher traffic, both organic and paid. The result is a much wider range of potential customers and, consequently, higher revenues.
However, search engine optimization does not encompass all aspects of internet marketing. It does, however, apply to all forms of web-pages that link to sites. All pages that link to sites should have appropriate titles and descriptions. These should be relevant to the information provided on the web-pages. Meta tags and other keywords should also be used appropriately.
On the other hand, content marketing is quite different from search engine optimization. Content marketing seeks to sell to people looking for services or goods on the internet. Search engine optimization deals with providing useful information and ads relevant to the site. Content marketing aims to build brand loyalty, credibility, and reputation. It also tends to build in-bound links, which improves a site’s rankings in databases, web directories, and search engines.
In fact, it is this aspect of content marketing that gives internet marketing its greatest advantage. Traditional advertising is limited to a narrow geography. For instance, if you were selling shoes in a city near San Francisco, it would be difficult to get the shoes in the right color and at the right size in your hometown. You could easily make a sales visit, shake hands, and get a few pairs sold, but it would take you ages, and lots of trips.
However, content marketing and inbound links allow you to reach people who don’t even live in your town or city. You can use blogs, articles, videos, and other forms of online marketing to drive traffic to your website. This allows you to reach people who are searching for products or services outside your immediate geographical area. This makes your product offerings more appealing, as well as having a greater potential for making sales.
The secret to internet marketing success lies in search engine marketing, or SEM for short. Search engine optimization (SEO), is a form of internet marketing that seeks to get your site to show up higher on the results page of Google, Yahoo, and MSN when someone searches for certain key phrases or search terms. For instance, if someone is searching for dry cleaning in Pittsburgh, you want your website to show up toward the top of the search engine list. The way this is achieved is through link building and digital marketing. By making sure that your website is linked to other websites, as well as posting on forums, social networks, and article directories, you increase the chance of your site appearing at the top of search engine results.
The beauty of this form of online advertising is that it’s completely free. Unlike traditional marketing campaigns, where you may have to pay thousands of dollars for ad space, internet marketing can drive traffic to your website for next to nothing. Many businesses consider SEM to be one of the best ways to advertise.