Online Advertising

Online advertising includes the optimisation of a website to achieve a top ranking in the organic search engine results, pay per click advertising, email marketing, placing of links on related directories and portals, distribution of press releases, blogs, viral marketing and banner advertising. Search Maestros focuses primarily on the first two areas; that is search engine optimisation for natural rankings and pay per click advertising.

Although online advertising can be divided into five main categories:

	Search engines	A top position on the search engines should be the primary objective of any campaign. [View Example].
	Pay per click	Space is purchased on a highly visible portion of the page and pays for each visitor who clicks on the link. Examples: Overture, Google adwords. [View Example].
	Paid inclusions	Some directories & portals charge a set fee for inclusion. Examples: M-web, Yahoo directory. [View Example].
	Banners	The purchase of (usually animated) banners in prominent positions on highly trafficked sites. [View Example].
	Email marketing	Opt-in email newsletters are a useful and excellent method of attracting highly qualified visitor traffic.

Search Engines

Millions are spent every year on Internet advertising, and while there are various aspects to a successful web site, one of the most effective means of online promotion is through search engines. With billions of sites competing for attention on the web this potential cannot be taken advantage off if your site is not easily found by your potential customers.

Surveys have shown that as many as 75 percent of Internet users use search engines to locate information, the same research showed that almost 80% of the users abandon their query if they don't find what they are looking for within the first three pages of results. It follows that your site must feature prominently within the search results of the major search engines in order to reap the potential rewards. Read more.

Pay Per Click

Pay per click - Whereas in the past, Internet users were reluctant to click on what they perceived to be a "bought" position, users today are more accustomed to online advertising as a serious medium and have realised that if the website owner is being charged for each visitor, he or she will make certain that they do in fact offer the product or service that is advertised. Pay per click is a very effective way of bringing immediate traffic at an affordable price to both large and small businesses. Read more.

Paid Inclusion

Paid Inclusion is when a web page or Url is included by the search engines for an annual consideration. A top position is not guaranteed, only that the site will be included in the database, the ultimate position in the rankings of pages are determined by the search engine. Optimisation is still essential to obtain top rankings.

Banner Advertising

Although banner advertising is less popular now than in the early days of the Internet it still remains a powerful online advertising method. Banners can be static or animated and would be displayed in prominent areas on high traffic sites. Banners are generally sold on a cost per 1000 impressions basis, in other words you pay according to the number of people who see the banner, regardless of whether they click on it. Accordingly they are an excellent way of building brand awareness, getting your company name out there and in front of thousands of people.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the most effective online advertising tactics. Provided that the recipients of your email have asked to receive it (opt-in), it can be a cost effective, highly targeted and fully measurable marketing tool. Perhaps the greatest advantage of email marketing is that it reaches the customer at that point at which they most often touch base with the Internet, their inbox.

A Combined Approach

We believe that a successful online advertising campaign starts with understanding your keyword market. Free listings, pay per click, paid inclusion, banners and email marketing all have their respective place. The key is striking the right balance between them to ensure you are getting the most out of your online advertising Rands.