One of the greatest areas of growth in search marketing - and one of the most misunderstood - will be in Search Engine Optimization.  SEO improves organic listings, the results in search engines that appear naturally through the engines’ algorithms. Since Internet users prefer organic listings to paid listings, generally finding them more relevant than advertising, SEO is vital to a marketer’s success online.

SEO is cost-effective but the effects take time. The results are gradual and improving organic rankings typically takes months. However, optimized sites do not drop off the first results page even when marketer spending slows or stops, like with paid search.

We recommend that marketers not only focus improving their website’s optimization, but to look at SEO from a holistic branding viewpoint.  Use multiple opportunities to get your brand at the top engine search results.  One of the best ways to do that is through the use of online local search directories, like Yellow Assistance, Merchant Circle and others.  These companies put a considerable amount of energy and resources into SEO, so that their advertisers’ profile pages rank high in Search Engine results.  So, by creating content-rich profiles on directories like these, you can broaden the number of search engine results that point back to your brand and website.