This article will explain why search engines are critical to business website success.

Many people know why search engines are not only important, but critical to the success and return on investment of a website.  If you're not one of those people, or have only a vague understanding, read on.

So Many People Use Search Engines

My name is Ian Burrows and I haven't picked up a white pages or a yellow pages in over 5 years. I don't need to.  I can find almost anything I want on the internet, in about 20 seconds or less, without getting out of my chair.  I can then read all the pages of the website(s) I found in my own time and at my own pace. I don't have to wait for a call back or frantically write down a promising phone number I heard on the radio.  Tap tap click click and enter - I have everything I need at my fingertips.

I'm not alone. Not even close.  In December 2008 alone, over 8.6 million internet searches were done.  There's so many statistics floating around that I won't bore you with them, but the general thrust of it all is pretty simple: millions of people, every month, use search engines to find products, services, information and entertainment.  Millions of dollars are spent every month on "e-commerce" - online stores.  Searching and buying online are becoming more and more popular with every month.

Then think about 5 years from now - when everyone under the age of 30 will have grown up with computers and find them the most natural thing in the world.

...millions of people, every month, use search engines to find products, services, information and entertainment.  Millions of dollars are spent every month on "e-commerce" - online stores.  Searching and buying online are becoming more and more popular with every month

Like Grand Final Advertising

So how many people watch the footy grand final? A few million? Maybe 10 million? Let's say 10 million, just for the sake of argument.  Almost that many searches are done every month online.  Businesses that have websites which rank well in search engines don't need 'old style' marketing techniques (although many of them do anyway!).  Their websites generate new customers every day, without them lifting a finger.  This is all pretty impressive, but what is really going to make it clear is the next paragraph...

Pre-Qualified Sales Leads

Think about the last time you walked into a clothing store. Or jewellery store. Or computer store. Or whatever - lets run with clothing.  The sales people there did not need to sell you on the idea that you wanted clothes - you were in their store - of COURSE you wanted clothing!  No, all they needed to do was find what you wanted and provide it to you at the right price, with a pleasant person.  In this situation, you are a pre-qualified sales lead - you have pre-qualified yourself as wanting clothing (or at least being interested) simply by walking in the door.

Search engines offer exactly the same concept.  Lets say someone searches for "business website designer" (I know, I couldn't help it!) and they get a list of results. If your site is in that list of results and they click your site (there will only be 10 to pick from on the first page), then here's what has really happened:

1. A potential customer (we know they are a potential customer, as they are already looking for "business website designer") has taken the time to go looking for something - much like walking into a specific type of store.
2. The only results they see are websites related to "business" and "website" and "designer" - all search results must be primarily about these three words, otherwise they wouldn't be listed in the search engine results.
3. They visit one of the sites, or perhaps several to compare the offerings. They may not be wanting to spend right now, but they are in the market and they are looking for a result - they want something.  More importantly, they want exactly, or very close to what your business offers.
4. Here's the best part: the ONLY people who will hit your business website from a search engine are already looking for what you offer, otherwise you would never have shown up in their search.

You may not be "100% what they are after", but this is targetted marketing at its best - every single person who comes to your site from a search engine has already told the search engine what they want and the search engine has told them "these 10 sites are the ones you are looking for".  Your website doesn't have to sell the idea, it has to convince a surfer that you are reputable, of good quality and worth spending money on.  Don't get us wrong - its still nice to include pages about the benefits of your service or goods, but for people visiting from search engines? Most times, they already know what your benefits are, that's why they're looking.  What they really want to know is what sets you apart, what your prices are and how good your service is.

...the ONLY people who will hit your business website from a search engine are already looking for what you offer

Organic -v- Sponsored Search Results

Most search engines offer "paid" or "sponsored" results.  On Google, they generally appear on the right hand side, under the heading "Sponsored Links".  These are basically classified auctions, where business "bid" for results.  In essence, you pay a certain number of "cents per click" - you may offer 20c to Google every time someone clicks your sponsored link advert.  You specify how much per month you're willing to spend and when you hit your monthly limit, your adverts stop appearing.  Whoever is offering the most cents per click appears first in these sponsored links.  The second highest bid per click gets second place and so on.

Organic results are the "natural" results in search engines, usually on the left hand side.  People searching know that the stuff on the right is paid for and that the stuff on the left is "what the search engine thinks is most relevant for what Im looking for".  Most people searching will not even look at the sponsored results.

Organic results are the "natural" results in search engines...Most people searching will not even look at the sponsored results

Organic Results -v- Conventional Advertising

It all gets back to targetting your audience and this is where search engines cannot be beaten. Lets say you advertise on the radio or TV - you can spend money based upon the number of viewers watching a given show on a given channel.  TV and radio stations will be able to provide you with demographic information as to what general type of people watch or are listening at a given time.

What they cannot do is provide you with any real targetting as to the viewer's or listener's wants and needs.  So lets say that 1,000,000 people between the ages of 35 and 45 watch Channel 7 News.  How many of them are interested in your product or service? How many of them are in the market for a business website designer? Who knows! There is no way to know.  None of them are pre-qualified - it is a scattershot approach to marketing, with only the most basic information regarding age and income range known.

Search engines on the other hand respond to requests and searches. Hey, I want a "business website designer"! I want a "builder for my back deck and patio".  I want "new office furniture in Queensland".

...lets say that 1,000,000 people between the ages of 35 and 45 watch Channel 7 News.  How many of them are interested in your product or service?...There is no way to know

Fair Warning

Good search engine results are not easy to come by.  They take work, expertise and time.  Even the 'best website in the world' will take weeks, if not months, to rise in the search engine rankings.  And there are many websites out there competing for the same things you are.  Conventional advertising is much easier and far more straight forward.  But a successful search engine campaign, built with solid SEO tactics cannot be beaten for targetted, relevant visitors to your site month in and month out.

And the best part? With a good design up front and a solid understanding of the fundamentals, you can gradually improve your website's search engine value over time, as and when you have time, without too much external assistance.  Yes, professional website designers and SEO specialists will do it better and faster, but you can always add value yourself.  In the next article regarding how to optimise your website for search engines, you'll see why.

Good search engine results are not easy to come by.  They take work, expertise and time...a successful search engine campaign, built with solid SEO tactics cannot be beaten for targetted, relevant visitors to your site month in and month out