When the “State of Search Engine Marketing 2010″ report was released, it appeared to provide evidence that Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising is recession-proof. As businesses of all sizes decreased their spending budgets in various advertising avenues, investing in SEO and PPC increased. Not only has this kind of advertising increased, but it is forecast to grow even more this year according to Econsultancy and the Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO), the groups behind this report.
Are You Watching The Bandwagon Go By?
There is already $16.6 billion being invested by companies in SEO and PPC advertising, which is up almost 14% from last year. With this kind of money being invested, it is safe to say these methods of advertising work very well, no matter the state of the economy.
And why shouldn’t it? After all, if done properly, SEO and PPC advertising can bring you dramatically more targeted prospects than you could ever get from other advertising. You can even get it for a fraction of the price too. As a real estate professional, these opportunities can be ripe for the picking, especially if your competition is not aware of it.
Sounds Great! What Do I Need To Do?
It’s no question that if done properly, both SEO and PPC can bring you an enormous amount of leads and sales. Keep in mind though, they have to be done properly. No matter what other people may tell you, SEO and PPC are dangerous games. Depending on the industry, SEO and PPC can be very cut-throat, especially when it comes to real estate. If you do not understand how both these advertising mediums work, you will more than likely lose a lot of time and/or money with zero results.
What Are My Options?
If you want to get involved with SEO and PPC advertising, you have a couple options. The first option is to learn it yourself. There are a variety of free and paid resources on the web to help you get started. There are a few downsides to this though.
First, it will take you a lot of time to learn how to properly utilize these advertising mediums. I have been doing it for 4 years now, and I am still learning new things. Second, if you are trying to teach yourself these things, know that you will more than likely read about false or outdated information. Especially in forums, many people describe themselves as SEO “experts” when in fact they are providing you with poor information. Determining what is legit and what isn’t can be difficult, even when purchasing products.
The other option you have is to hire a professional. The great thing about hiring a professional is they have the experience needed to take advantage of these advertising mediums for you right away. Just remember, there are professionals, and then there are “professionals”. With all the hype about SEO and PPC, new businesses are popping up a dime a dozen. Before you hire a professional or organization, do your due diligence and research them first. Figure out their track records and the results they were able to achieve.
Which One Should I Pursue?
Selecting whether to pursue SEO or PPC really depends on your objectives and budgets. If you have little to no budget, but have a lot of time, then I would recommend you work with SEO. While SEO takes a lot of time and effort before you see results, it can cost you little to no money.
On the other hand, if you have little time but have a budget, I would recommend PPC. You can start seeing results from PPC advertising within minutes of setting up a campaign. Remember though, make sure to take the time to learn how PPC advertising works, or you could end up losing a lot of money quickly without any results.
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