Did you know that 80% of research before purchase is done online. 88.14% of those searches are done using Google.*

Your website must be found on Google to have a chance of connecting these targeted, high quality visitors to your website.

There are two ways to get visitors from Google.

• Using Google Adwords
• Using Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

These two methods come under the term “Search Engine Marketing” or “Search Marketing.”

Google Adwords is a way of sending high quality visitors to your website immediately, by paying for it.

SEO will provide a stream of free, high quality visitors to your website but can take up to 6 months for best results.

Both types of search marketing can be used to ensure your website reaches the visitors that you want to connect with.

What is Google Adwords?

Google Adwords allows you to place small text based advertisements of your website on Google.

Here’s how it works:

1. You create text ads and choose keywords you think your customers would use to find you.
2. Those text ads are displayed when someone types in one of your keywords.
3. You only pay when someone clicks on your ad’s link and visits your website.

What is SEO?

SEO is a way of ensuring your website is accessible to Google and has the best chance to rank higher than other websites that offer similar products/services.

The theory behind SEO is simple:

• Ensure your website follows the Google webmaster guidelines to make it accessible.
• Create a website that is the more relevant to what you are offering then your competitors.
• Think about the keywords your customers would use to find you and use those words in relevant places throughout your website.
• Make it a high quality website so that other websites will link to you

I recommend that if you have invested in SEO (and I always advise that you do) you should run a Google Adwords campaign until your SEO results appear. At that time, you can stop paying for visitors and start receiving high quality visitors that are easier to convert – for free.

*July 2008, Hitwise [Link]

Related posts:

1. Google Australia Launch “10 Steps to Promote Your Business Online”
2. Website Marketing Basics – Getting Visitors to Your Website
3. Want to know how Google works?
4. Google to launch customised search – how it will affect your website
5. How to get more website visitors

Filed under: Attract good visitors, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), Tips