Search Engines and PPC
Pay-Per-Click - Just the words send a chill up and down my spine. It used to be that this PPC feature was an end-all to cure any search engine listing woes, to get the ranking we felt we were denied, and to finally gain that respect that we felt we were due in this harsh reality they call the Internet. Now it has gotten completely out of hand.
The days of so-called 'smart advertising through PPC' is all but gone. The 'Big Boys' of the Internet (i.e., Google, Yahoo, MSN and the rest) have driven the market to new heights and basically made it impossible for anyone smaller than IBM or Microsoft to make it in this realm. Are we stuck in an impossible web of banner exchanges, fruitless 'safelist' emails, or even (gulp!) to the lower depths of SPAM itself? I say NO! No, no, no!!
We need to open our eyes to the little guys. There are other search engines out there, engines that are desperate for our eyes to look upon them and say, 'Hey! Let's try this one!' Most, if not all, of the so-called 'little search engines' are hooked up to receive massive amounts of search engine results. Do we really need Google or Yahoo's return rate of 15,000,000+ search results when we barely have enough stamina to get past the first three pages of listings?
Even the 'mid-range' search engines are starting to get pricey in their PPC selections. This doesn't mean that we should abandon them and run amass to the little guys. On the contrary, there is more than enough business for everyone! But, if you have a limited budget and want quick results, I would recommend the smaller search engines such as Femina, Highway61, JumpCrawler, and Isleuth.
It's not necessary to spend the big bucks to get your site noticed. All the optimization in the world will not get your site to number one. Spend some money at the smaller sites and you will show a positive return on your investment in no time, guaranteed!
About the author: Internet marketeer involved in all phases of advertising concepts, avenues, and directions dealing with ecommerce.