Search optimization or search engine optimization is the process of improving your website ranking in search engines like Google, Yahoo and MSN.

When you perform a search on Google for example, Google will give you a list of blogs/websites it 'thinks' might be relevant to your search query. These results from search engines include natural (organic) results and paid listings (sponsored links). The organic results are located in the middle of the page and the paid advertisements you will normally see on very top, or on the right side of the page under the heading 'sponsored links'.

Studies have shown that 85% of people using the internet will use search engines for their searches. Most people will not look further than the first page of the search engine results page (SERPS). So, you can see for yourself that if you have a website and want to get traffic to your site, it is crucial that you get listed on the first page of search engines (SE's).

PPC for Small Business Owners

There are two ways that you can get to the top of the SE's results. The fastest way to get to the top of the SE's results is to pay for it. This is known as pay per click or ppc advertising. You will have to pay every time someone clicks on your ad, regardless if you made a sale or not.

The advantage of using PPC is that you'll be getting traffic to your site instantly, but it can become a very expensive method of advertising if not done correctly.

That is why initial keyword research and bid management is so important.

Search Optimization for Small Business Owners

With search engine optimization you have to optimize your website in such a manner to achieve high search rankings in the SE's. It takes a lot of effort to optimize your website so that Google and other SE's can notice you. You'll have to create new content on a regular basis, get quality links from related sites etc.

Although there is no cost per click the trade off is that it can be very time consuming and there are no guaranteed results.

With a little help, you can start to overcome all of these issues. Check out our plan on How to dominate your market to see what we advise.