Getting Started with Google Marketing

Getting Started with Google Marketing

Answers to online marketing FAQ’s. 

I am the first to admit that the Internet and online world can be confusing. There’s plenty of jargon thrown around and areas shrouded in mystery. For many business owners, internet marketing still provides more questions than answers.

In our line of work, we get asked all manner of questions about how businesses can attract more website visitors and make more sales online. Here are answers to some of the most commons questions I have been asked regarding Google and online marketing.

  • How does Google work? 

Google’s aim is to present the most relevant, popular and credible search results at the top of listings. Google can’t see what humans see so it does this by scanning the code of web pages on the Internet to find keywords and links to determine whether a website matches the search term used. Over 90% of Australians use Google to find businesses, services, products, news and more online ‚Äì so you need to play by Google’s rules if you want to be successful on the Internet.

  • What is SEM? 

SEM is search engine marketing, marketing your website in search engines such as Google. Search engine marketing refers to both SEO and PPC.

  • What is SEO? 

SEO stands for search engine optimisation. SEO is the process of improving a websites organic positioning in search engine results. In a nutshell it’s about increasing your website’s visibility online. SEO is about making changes to your website to make it more relevant to what your potential customers are search for. It’s also about increasing its popularity and credibility in the eyes of Google by growing the number of links to your website from other websites on the Internet. Organic listings are those unpaid listings that appear below the paid listings (highlighted below).

  • What is PPC? 

PPC stands for pay per click and refers to any form of online advertising where the advertiser only pays when someone clicks on their ad. There are a variety of websites that offer PPC including Facebook, LinkedIn, Yahoo, Bing and YouTube. Adwords is Google’s form of PPC and the most popular (highlighted below).

What is the difference between search engine optimisation and PPC?

Although they are both focused on keywords, there are quite a number of differences between SEO and PPC. The biggest is how you pay. SEO listings are free ‚Äì you don’t pay when a customer clicks on your website in Google results. With PPC you pay each time a customer clicks your ad. PPC is instantaneous whilst SEO takes time for results to build. Once you stop paying for PPC, your ad will stop appearing.

Both SEO and PPC have their benefits and work well together in a balanced online marketing strategy.

  • What is a keyword? 

A keyword (or keyphrase) is a word or several words that is typed into Google as part of a search. If you are an accountant in Newcastle, then a keyword that people might used to find you is “accountant Newcastle” or “personal tax Newcastle”. The most lucrative keywords for a business are the ones that are searched most regularly by its potential customers. You can often tell a lucrative keyword by the number of Google ads that appear when that keyword is searched. If a lot of Google ads appear for a given keyword search it’s likely there is money to be made by ranking well for this keyword.

  • What are backlinks? And why are they important? 

Links on other websites that link back to your company website are known as backlinks. These are extremely valuable, as Google uses these to decide on a ranking for your website.

Google uses links like votes to judge the credibility and popularity of a website. If you have more (quality) links to your website than a competitors website, it’s likely you will rank higher than them. Beware that not all links are worth the same in

Google’s eyes. Google can tell if you have low quality links or are cheating by buying or acquiring. These links will actually hurt, not help your ranking.

 

Do you have a question about online marketing? Add it in the comments below and I’ll be sure to answer it for you. 

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