Surfers prefer organic SEO 5 to 1 over PPC advertising

Surfers prefer organic SEO 5 to 1 over PPC advertising

It’s a fact that surfers prefer organic search results, which are the result of organic SEO methods, 5 to 1 over Paid Search engine advertising. I’m not saying this because I’m a firm believer in the long term benefits of SEO over SEM (even though I am), I’m saying it because it’s true. PPC does have it’s place in online marketing, but before I get into that, let me expound on my previous statement.

Why do people go to the organic listings before they go to the sponsor ads? It’s very simple. People know that organic listings are more likely to have what they’re looking for. Sites that are shown as a result of a search have creditability over paid listing sites. This is important to keep in mind, in addition to the fact that if your site ranks well organically, you will spend substantially less money on PPC and overall online marketing. I have a few clients that receive thousands of hits a day based solely on organic searches. These results, along with the ever-increasing cost of PPC advertising, make me wonder why more companies don’t utilize organic SEO methods.

In regard to PPC, it’s certainly an effective way to drive traffic to your site quickly. PPC campaigns are an excellent option for those waiting for a higher page rank or companies that sell high dollar items or have large profit margins. If your average sale is 5 dollars, you can’t really afford to be paying much for an ad. If one average order can pay for an entire day’s or even week’s PPC budget, it’s probably well worth the money. Unfortunately, a successful PPC campaign takes a lot more than money.
A successful PPC campaign is all about monitoring. Of the many subpar PPC campaigns I have “inherited” from frustrated site owners, roughly 80% were improperly monitored or tracked. Why is tracking so important? For one thing, without any sort of tracking, how will you know how much you are spending for a lead or a sale? Aside from not having tracking in place, many PPC managers bid on bad keywords, allow poorly written ads and utilize improper landing pages. Again, a successful PPC campaign takes a lot more than money.

Another thing many fail to realize when it comes to organic SEO and PPC is that one can be used to the advantage of the other. PPC can be used to test whether or not the keywords you are targeting are right for you. This works especially well for a company that has a unique service or product. Sometimes, traditional keywords or phrases are ineffective. PPC combined with tracking can help you determine if the keywords you are bidding on are converting. If they are, you can the create pages for the organic search which will hopefully alleviate your need for future PPC spending or at least curtail it significantly. There are also other ways to use PPC to “test” areas in which you could benefit from organic SEO, though many SEM firms will not tell you this. Why? Because they either don’t know how to use PPC in this capacity or they want you to remain dependent on PPC for the life of your business. Not all, but many SEM firms view their clients much in the same way that high interest lenders view borrowers with good credit. They want you to stay put and throw your money out the window and will be more than happy to let you do so until you figure out that you don’t have to.

The idea behind SEM is to help your ROI. Since I lean more toward SEO than SEM, I tend to use PPC as a way to test the market and to help new businesses bring in traffic. Ideally, organic SEO will help minimize the cost of PPC. It’s my opinion that companies who focus solely on PPC are putting all their eggs in one basket and will always be dependent on their marketing budget. As PPC prices soar, so will your PPC expenses.

So, the next time you search for an SEM firm, ask how they can help you save money and achieve better results over the long term by incorporating organic SEO into your overall marketing strategy. If a 5 to 1 preference isn’t a good enough reason to engage in organic SEO, then I don’t know what is.

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Sarah Palin Speech Video (Let’s watch this hot Politician)

Sarah Palin Speech Video (Let’s watch this hot Politician)

Mary Antoinette Rivero Lost In Women’s 57-67 kg Match

Mary Antoinette Rivero Lost In Women’s 57-67 kg Match

Simple, Timeless eBay Marketing Techniques

Simple, Timeless eBay Marketing Techniques

Whether you’re writing for eBay listings or writing SEO copy for your Web site or writing SEM copy for a Google AdWords landing page, there are always some very simple, timeless things you need to do. Here they are in stripped down, bare bones bullets:

* Write strong headlines

* Describe benefits before features

* Use specific subheads

* Write about the reader (not about yourself or your company)

This is simple marketing copywriting 101, but sometimes we need to remind ourselves what the basic techniques are.

Strong headlines contain delicious offers, benefits and intrigue. Benefits sell the dream before the hardware that produces the dream (and the relationship between the two). Specific subheads are key because many readers scan the page and follow subhead stories before diving into specific sections of your body text. Finally, when you use the word “you” and talk directly to and about the reader, you make better connections and sell more effectively. Nobody wants to hear about the genius behind the product. They want to know how it’s going to help them specifically.

2008 Beijing Paralympic Medal Count| Medal Tally

2008 Beijing Paralympic Medal Count| Medal Tally

Cartoon - Debate results

Cartoon - Debate results

Beasiswa Singapura: The Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA)

Beasiswa Singapura: The Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA)
The Singapore International Graduate Award (SINGA) is a collaboration between the Agency for Science, Technology & Research (A*STAR), the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). PhD training will be carried out in English at your chosen lab at A*STAR Research Institutes, NUS or NTU. Students will be supervised by distinguished and world-renowned researchers in these labs. Upon successful completion, students will be conferred a PhD degree by either NUS or NTU.

“We want to encourage more such exchanges, to build friendships and mutual understanding. This is why we are introducing a new Singapore International Graduate Award (or SINGA), for international students to do their PhD training in a multi-disciplinary environment in Singapore. 240 SINGA Awards will be given every year to top students from all over the world. I hope that this will enhance the close educational ties between our countries and will bring our young talents even closer together.”
Extracted from Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong`s speech at the Honorary Doctorate Degree Conferment Ceremony, Eotvos Lorand University, 9 October 2007, Budapest, Hungary
ELIGIBILITY

* Open to all international students
* Graduates with a passion for research and excellent academic results
* Good skills in written and spoken English
* Good reports from academic referees

AWARD TERMS

* Attractive monthly stipend over 4 years of PhD studies, which can support you comfortably. The stipend amount is SGD 24,000 annually, to be increased to SGD 30,000 after passing Qualifying Examination.
* Full support for tuition fees for 4 years of PhD studies.
* One-time SGD 1,000 Settling-in Allowance
* One-time Airfare Grant of SGD 1,500

Estimated cost of living in Singapore

Items Per Student Per Month (SGD)
Food
- University Canteens
- Meals outside Campus
200 - 300
440 - 525
Accommodation - rental of a hostel room / room outside campus 225 - 400
Transport Expenses (local) 100 - 150
Other Expenses (stationery, toiletries, laundry, recreation, etc) 300 - 500
Total Estimated Cost of Living 1,100 - 1,700

* 1 USD is about 1.4 SGD
HOW TO APPLY

Application for January 2009 intake has closed. Click here to apply for August 2009 intake.

The application deadline for August 2009 intake is 1 January 2009. Completed application and supporting documents will have to reach us by mail then.

Incomplete applications and new applications received after 1 January 2009 will be considered for January 2010 intake.

All supporting documents are to be submitted by post to:
Attention: Jeremy Ng
A*STAR Graduate Academy
Agency for Science, Technology and Research
20 Biopolis Way, #07-01 Centros
Singapore 138668

Please check and ensure that all data you have entered in the online form is correct and accurate before you submit the online application. Amendments to the online application will not be possible after it is submitted. In addition, amendments on the hardcopy of the application form will not be included and will render the application invalid.

You may download the Academic Referee`s Recommendation Form here.

Only short-listed candidates will be notified within 2 months from the application closing date.

For more information please visit:

https://www.singa.a-star.edu.sg/theaward.php

Political Corner - Obama and McCain on foreign policy

Political Corner - Obama and McCain on foreign policy
Last week, Barack Obama and John McCain were scheduled to debate on foreign policy. Iraq is a major topic and the two candidates differ greatly on the issue.

On his Web site, Obama calls for a safe and responsible pullout out of Iraq within sixteen months.

Pumped up against violence
Men in heels marched across campus last Thursday as they took on the challenge to walk a mile in women’s high-heeled shoes.

The Women’s Center hosted its second annual Walk a Mile in Her Shoes: The International Men’s March to Stop Rape, Sexual Assault and Gender Violence as part of its Violence Prevention Program.