The Top 5 Ranking Factors in Search Engine Marketing
Search engine marketing (SEM) expertise is an increasingly important skill for all Internet marketing professionals to possess. Companies that don’t rank well in search engines risk losing business to SEM-savvy competitors, or will have to invest more heavily in paid advertising to generate a similar level of awareness. Because effective search engine marketing tactics have the potential to dramatically increase a company’s presence across the Web, there is a growing demand for Internet marketing specialists with proficiency in this area. Successful search engine marketing begins with a basic knowledge of the discipline and an understanding of the key factors that can help or hurt an organization’s search engine rankings.
The Importance of Search Engine Marketing
Internet marketing has many different components, ranging from websites and landing pages to banner ads and search engine marketing. In the past, many companies assumed that putting up a website was all they had to do to establish a presence on the Web. And while it’s true that an engaging, informative and user-friendly website should be the foundation of an organization’s Internet marketing efforts, it’s critical to actively promote that site to attract new visitors. As many Internet marketers have learned, search engine marketing is one of the best, most cost-effective ways to direct traffic to a website or landing page.
Search engine marketing encompasses two related disciplines: search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. SEO involves optimizing a company’s website and landing pages so that they are more likely to appear near the top of search engine results when someone types in a related keyword or phrase. These are considered “natural” or “organic” rankings. PPC involves bidding on keywords and developing paid search ads that appear in a separate “sponsored links” section of the search results page.
Ranking factors primarily apply to the SEO facet of search engine marketing, since PPC rankings are largely determined by keyword bids. One of the biggest draws of SEO is that it is essentially a free form of advertising. Big budgets have no bearing on a web page’s rank, so all companies are on an equal footing, regardless of size. Small businesses with smart search engine marketing practices have the opportunity to rank even higher than multinational corporations.
Top Factors Impacting Search Engine Rankings
As you might expect, the most popular keywords have a lot of competition – which is why it’s crucial to know and apply best practices in search engine marketing. There are many different elements you’ll need to take into consideration when optimizing your website or landing pages. To get your search engine marketing efforts off to a good start, it’s important to be aware of the top positive and negative factors that can affect your search engine rankings. The following factors were identified in a recent SEOmoz survey:*
Top 5 Factors That Can Have a Positive Effect on Results:
- Inbound links with keyword-focused anchor text
- Inbound links from a large number of high-quality external sites
- Inbound links from many different root domains
- Keywords featured in title tags
- Association of your domain with other trusted domain
Most of these best practices involve obtaining quality external links. That means you need to provide valuable, relevant content and establish relationships with reputable sites.
Top 5 Factors That Can Negatively Impact Results:
- Cloaking a site’s true content with manipulative or malicious intent
- Acquiring paid links from known brokers to boost inbound links
- Including links to other pages that are known spam sites
- Cloaking by user agent
- Recurring server downtime or issues than affect site accessibility
When it comes to site content and link-building, these factors prove that you can’t fake it. Your rankings are likely to suffer if your search engine marketing practices are deemed unethical.
Boost Your Search Engine Marketing Know-How
It’s one thing to know the top positive and negative ranking factors; it’s another to understand how to address them. In the dynamic, constantly evolving world of Internet marketing and highly competitive realm of search engine marketing, you need to stay up to date on all of the latest changes and developments if you want to be successful. Whether you’re new to the field or looking to enhance your skills, it’s a good idea to pursue continuing professional education in Internet marketing and specialized training in search engine marketing to stay one step ahead of the competition.
Develop Expert-Level Internet Marketing Skills 100% Online
The University of San Francisco (USF) has earned a reputation as a leading provider of online Internet marketing training. In fact, USF’s Certificate in Internet Marketing is the first and only expert-led, university-backed, 100% online program of its kind. Consisting of three eight-week certificate courses – Integrated Online Strategies, Search Engine Marketing & Usability and Advanced Interactive Marketing and Measurement – the program allows you to acquire an end-to-end understanding of all aspects Internet marketing.
If you’re seeking to hone your SEO and PPC skills, USF’s eight-week Advanced Search Engine Marketing course will provide valuable insights and practical tools. The university also offers a number of other advanced specialized certificate courses in topics such as social media, web analytics, email marketing, affiliate marketing and mobile marketing. All USF courses are developed and led by practicing, real-world experts, and delivered via a proven, vide-based e-learning platform.
Consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of “America’s Best Colleges,” regionally accredited USF empowers you to advance your skills and enhance your résumé with respected university credentials. In as few as eight weeks, you can gain the knowledge and credentials to position yourself as a search engine marketing expert.
* “Search Engine Ranking Factors 2009.” Published by SEOmoz.com, April 23, 2009; accessed September 24, 2010.
