This is the question I am asked the most in a given week. The answer is not easy to pin down, but it truly comes down to your needs at the moment.

SEO, or the process of optimizing your website, can take many months for the keywords you choose to eventually show up in the search engines. Companies will charge a monthly fee based on the number of keywords you want. Identifying a reputable SEO company is difficult. You will want to interview several, making sure that they use what we call “White Hat” techniques that the search engines approve.  Some search engines will ban your site if your website uses techniques that are not above board in terms of ethical SEO. Keep in mind, once your site is optimized, it’s difficult to change the text associated with your search results placement. PPC (pay per click) advertising is somewhat opposite from SEO. You can be placed on the search engines very quickly and get a product or site up and running generally within hours. Your ads on PPC can be changed in an instant. This is particularly helpful if you want to publish sale items, special incentives, etc. (EX: A homebuilder offering a special weekend incentive like ($10,000 off existing inventory this weekend only). The flexibility that pay per click offers any profit generating business is well worth the investment. According to a recent survey, 40% of all sales conversions result from pay per click advertising. Ideally, you need a little of both. My company prefers to hand craft and perfect campaigns on the PPC level due to the ability to test and retest every detail regarding our clients’ advertising. Once you have a well crafted and effective PPC campaign, then a mix of PPC and SEO techniques can supply you with a balanced attack.  Know that my statements here will be met with controversy depending on which side of the SEO/PPC fence you’re on.  Have questions? Please call us at 877-567-3272 or visit us online at www.TheSearchFactory.net.  We’ll be happy to help you sort out what is best for your company. Sign up for our free newsletter and to be notified of upcoming search engine training.

Posted by: Terry Burger, CEO & Founder, The Search Factory 

Every week or so I spend 2-3 hours per week checking out our competitors in order to continue to deliver solid value to our clients.   I will never name these companies, but as a business owner, I want to be aware of my competition. Most importantly, I want to make sure we are exceeding our own clients’ expectations.

Today I’m on a call that began with a search of “real estate leads” on Google. Website was impressive and so I filled out a test drive form. A prompt response (on a Saturday) was impressive and then the salesperson began  to lead me through a very weak slide show presentation. At the end of a 48 minute call he asked me for $14,900 to get started! Keep in mind, I think the company was selling leads, but the salesperson did a whole lot of talking and not very much listening to my needs.

I asked if I could speak to one of their clients regarding their ability to deliver what they promised. They said no, and so I wished them a good day and sent them packing.

First of all, they promised me 55 leads. Now I’m not sure what their definition of leads is, but to promise me 55 leads with an investment of fifteen grand is preposterous. That works out to be $271 per lead, if they were able to deliver that many.  And if you are in sales, you know that there are a certain number of leads that you need to make a sale, pay your bills, and make a profit so this thing we call business can feed our families. 

If you close 10% of the leads they sent, it would cost you $2,721 to find a customer. Conclusion: RIP OFF ALERT! Be wary of marketing firms that say they will deliver “x” number of leads per month. There is no guarantee that this is true.  Ask for a money back guarantee, and if they won’t give you one, wish them a nice day.

My passion is to see businesses succeed in the online marketplace and make a profit. Our search marketing systems are here for you. Please give us a call at 1-877-567-3272 or visit us online at www.TheSearchFactory.net; it would be a pleasure to serve you.