What is SEO and PPC?

Before one understand what is Search Engine Optimization (SEO)  as well as Pay Per Click (PPC), one has to understand the placement and layout of information. In this case, we will use Google as a defecto standard for discussion purposes.

SEO Overview

The blue column is where the user and the customer would type in a search term or rather more commonly known as the “keyword” or “keyphrase” to search for a product, service or just general information that might pique interest. The small orange section really tells you the number of web-pages that contains the keyword or phase that the end user has just keyed in

The green section is really known as Organic Search Results.This is where Google search engine would deliver the most relevant web-page to you at the front page. It starts from what Google perceives as the most relevant and it continues to the least relevant in relation to the keyword or keyphrase that the end user type in.
So in essence, the practice of search engine optimization really crafts your web-site or more accurately your web-pages individually so that Google would perceive your web-page as relevant and serve your web-pages up in relation to certain keywords that you have targeted and identified. Ideally at the top of the first page.

So now for the million dollar question. How do you get Google to see my site as relevant? Read on…

PPC Overview

The red section is known as Paid Search Advertising. Certain business or products may want to get traffic immediately. In this case, they will work with Google to bid for certain “keywords” or “keyphrase”. If you bid the highest price among all your competitor, your ad will be served up and placed right on top as shown in the diagram above.

This is of course a paid service.   The charging rate typically depends on the competitiveness of the keyword and often related to the industry. For discussion sake, we take plastic surgery as an example. This industry has always been notoriously competitive hence the going rate for such a keyword is typically $10USD per click. You really only pay when a person clicks. While you may think that this is a reasonable sum to pay for top position and drive traffic. Mis-Management will cost you thousand of dollars or more. While you may be able to direct traffic to your website, practically none of them may actually convert to sales.

So now for the million dollar question. How do you choose the right keyword and lower the advertising cost while increasing conversion? Read on…