Search engine optimization and pay per click advertising still remain a powerful source for obtaining new traffic and sales for online retailers. According to an Internet Retailer survey of over 100 e-retailers, 27% of respondents say that more than 50% of their online sales are due to either SEO, PPC or both. 47% say that more than a quarter of their annual sales are driven by SEO and or PPC.
Some other interesting information: Google refers a huge 87% of that traffic, with Bing and Yahoo taking up the slack.
44.6% of respondents say that they have increased their PPC budgets in the past year and almost 50% say they plan on increasing their budgets within the next year.
Obviously online marketing through search engine optimization and pay per click advertising still reaches your targeted audience and can have a significant impact on your bottom line. Not yet advertising online? You may want to reconsider your buisiness’ marketing strategies.
Follow the link below for the full results of the Internet Retailer survey:
Yes I agree, PPC gives small companies a great way to get on top of search rankings-especially when there isn’t a big budget for SEO. This is the key factor in driving online sales to my site. In an ideal world it would be great to have both, but PPC is an easy and cheap option.
It seems like the SEO industry is maturing, but there are still lots of sharks out there. From these statistics, it’s obviously a crucial area for online businesses to invest their time in. That makes it even more important to find a legitimate company to work with.
Unlike other industries, you do *not* want to pick a company that guarantees results, or that sells custom, turn-key packages. What you want is a competent company that charges a decent hourly rate and gives realistic time estimates for specific goals as you continually improve your SEO.