Can you remember the days when you automatically reached for a phone book to find a doctor, or called “411″ to make dinner reservations? Whatever the case, those were the good ole’ days, and for many of us, those days are long gone. Think about it for a moment, when was the last time you did not utilize the internet in some fashion to retrieve this type of information?
 
Nowadays, the vast majority utilizes the internet to locate a doctor, as well as make dinner reservations. It is just too simple not to! Even the most non-techincal of searchers knows how to use search engines like Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc. to find exactly what they are looking for. That being said (in most cases) the more savvy the searcher, the more savvy the path to gather the information. Case in point…I recently took a trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina with some friends. Unfortunately, my friend’s mother was feeling under the weather. I grabbed by blackberry to do an online search for the nearest doctor. Simultaneously, another friend texted Google from her cell phone, while another used her laptop. Last but not least, the patient (AKA my friend’s mom) went straight for the phone book. It was quite comical how we were all trying to beat the other to retrieve the information and it is truly amazing just how much is at our fingertips. At the end of the impromptu “search contest”, we were all able to find what we were looking for, even though the paths to get there differed slightly! That being said, I (of course) won the contest!
 
This experience reinforces the fact that online marketing  today is not only important; it is vital. If you are a marketer and/or retailer and are not found online, you could be missing out on many lucrative opportunities to gain new customers, patients, clients, revenue, etc. In a nutshell, the internet is a huge marketplace and not being seen online is NOT an option!

It’s back to school time…. Do you know where your kids are hiding? And more importantly, do you know how to grab their attention?

These days, many youngsters are busy creating their own social circles by blogging about the Jonas Brothers, updating their social network profiles, and uploading videos of their latest dance party. Using sites such as YouTube, even real stars like Miley Cyrus are taking advantage of these free mediums.

So how do marketers aiming to target this Online Generation, get their message heard? Well, it is becoming increasingly apparent that simply displaying some text ads on Google is not the only answer. These kids want rich media, gadget ads and expressive ad copy. In order to stay competitive in this market, companies targeting America’s youth need to take a long hard look at their current marketing plan and allocate the necessary time and funds into these new mediums. The days of simple keyword search are numbered with this group.

If you don’t believe me then read this… According to a recent MSN Article, this generation is responsible for spending $150 million dollars per year! How can you pass up the opportunity to be a part of that?

In the world of search engine marketing, the phrase “one size does not fit all” definitely applies. Some companies tend to try to mimic other companies, when everyone’s search engine cpc marketing strategy ought to be tailored for their particular business. Let’s start with keywords.
 
When compiling keywords every company shouldn’t use the same type of keywords. Some companies can use one word keywords and set them on “broad match” because their product(s) and or service(s) are so niche. For example: When is the last time you looked up the word “biosimulation;” probably never. On the flip side a child adoption agency would want to use a keyword phrase such as “Chinese child adoption” instead of the word “adoption.” They would use a specific keyword phrase, otherwise people looking to adopt a street, a dog, or even a tree may click on their paid ad causing unwanted, non-converting clicks to their business. Next is cpc bid strategy..
 
Cpc bid strategy also known as cost per click won’t be the same for every company.  Companies need to realize that the online competition in every industry is different. In the marketing industry the keyword phrase “internet marketing” would cost between a $6 and $7 cpc for positions 1-3 in some search engines. Whereas a keyword phrase, such as “apartment sofa” would be estimated to cost a $1 cpc for positions 1-3.
 
Remember just like “one size does not fit all” one keyword type or one cpc model doesn’t fit all businesses either.