You are on your way as a search marketer! You have learned the three basic techniques in search marketing: organic search, directory listings, and paid placement. Each technique proves advantageous under the right circumstances, but each one must be handled with care to avoid the pitfalls. Table 3-4 summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of each technique.
Perhaps the best news of all is how complementary these techniques can be. Directory listings improve your organic search rankings. When your site is shown in both organic and paid results for a search, searchers click one of your listings more than 90 percent of the time. Why do searchers behave this way? That is what is examined in the next chapter. Understanding why searchers do what they do is critical for you as a search marketer. If you do not understand searchers, you cannot predict which keywords they will use or what content will strike their fancy. Let's examine the research into searcher behavior in Chapter 4. |