Search engine optimization, popularly known as SEO, has been in use since the mid 1990s when search engines first began to crawl the web. Until recently, SEO was used only by web designers and online marketing professionals who understood the true potential of high rankings on search engines. At that point, consumers were still skeptical of the safety of online shopping. People were afraid of identity theft or of being deceived. Highly publicized fraudulent schemes, such as the infamous Nigerian scam, only served to further the belief that online shopping was fraught with danger.

 
At that time, there was not a great deal of interest from well established or even mid level companies to attempt to grow their businesses online. Those that did branch out onto the Internet often found themselves lost and confused. It took years before business owners started seeking solutions for marketing their companies online, but when they did, SEO experts began to develop their own businesses and SEO companies began to thrive.

 
The SEO industry grew proportionally with the increasing number of Internet users. Viewing these users as a new customer base, companies started looking for aid and advice on ranking higher on search engines. In the last few years, the number of companies employing SEO services has grown exponentially as those in the corporate world have learned the importance of a first page search engine ranking. A pattern is emerging that shows that every successful business will either employ an SEO professional or will outsource SEO practices to a company that specializes in online marketing.

 
Understanding the number of web users who rely heavily on Internet searches has made smart managers and CEOs take notice. Business owners now realize that more profit can be made by focusing not only on virtual advertising, but also on virtual storefronts. Brick and mortar businesses have historically been necessary in order to have a good reputation. Now, consumers are more comfortable with spending money online. Consumers no longer require an in person storefront for their shopping experiences. Though companies that are already well established in the real world may have the edge online, many businesses both large and small have found that focusing on virtual storefronts saves money in costly building fees, transportation, and insurance, to name a few.

 
Though the costs of tangible items are significant, advertising costs are arguably even more so. A brief analysis of the trends in advertising can show that a successful SEO campaign is much more profitable over a long term than offline marketing that uses conventional forms of marketing. Advertising on television, radio, or using print ads in newspapers and magazines comes with a high price tag and reach out to a fewer number of people than their online marketing counterparts. The number of customers gained from traditional advertising has a smaller ratio to those that search engine rankings bring in as well. And that is just half of the story.

 
The biggest difference between search engine rankings and offline marketing is the targeted audience. While advertising in conventional media allows companies to place ads with television and radio programming that are targeted toward certain key demographics, the control over who views the ads ends there. Print media is even less targeted, with most newspapers and magazines selling ad space by size and relative location. These ads are also often viewed negatively by the very audience the companies are trying to reach. Ads that interrupt the customer’s entertainment are perceived as an annoyance by many, which is a poor reflection on the company and in turn bad for business.

 
With SEO practices, the opposite is true. The right SEO campaign will give a company top ranking on search engines. This allows for truly targeted traffic. People who find companies through search engines are seeking out a specific product, service, or information. These individuals are all potential customers and most have begun their web search already prepared to spend money. Best of all, businesses do not have to pay ad expenses for each customer. SEO campaigns focus on keywords rather than catch phrases, slogans, and logos that may or may not capture the attention of prospective buyers. Targeted traffic is simply the effect of a successful campaign.

 
Still, there are companies that are reluctant to spend marketing funds on SEO practice, instead focusing their dollars on television commercials. What these companies do not realize is the stark difference between SEO and TV ads. A television station does not have the ability to compile data then show ads only to the viewers who have stated an interest in the product at hand. Even if this were a possibility, most companies would not be able to afford a service such as this. SEO, on the other hand, is a service that is completely focused on doing just that. Only consumers who seek a product see the product, which means they are much more likely to buy.

 
Another significant benefit of SEO compared to traditional marketing is longevity. In traditional forms of advertising, each ad must be purchased separately. Once the company stops paying for the advertising, the ad stops running, never to be seen again. A well designed SEO campaign may continue to provide results for years to come.

 
With SEO, one can also predict the gains and profits quite accurately, which is difficult to impossible with old fashioned marketing campaigns. Professionally implemented SEO campaigns cannot only predict outcomes, but can measure them with extreme accuracy as well. Again, this is practically impossible with more traditional methods.

 
For example, a company that sells used cars may decide to implement an SEO campaign. The first natural choice for a keyword would be “used cars.” An SEO company does thorough research on each keyword. Placing “used cars” into Google’s keyword tool reveals that it has 1 million exact searches every month. That figure of 1 million represents 1 million potential buyers, all coming from Google, all using one keyword. According to Google’s statistics and from our own experience, about 40 percent of web surfers who search for a key term click on the search engine’s first given result. In this example, that would mean that the web site that ranks highest on Google for the keyword “used cars,” would earn 400,000 unique visitors each month. With an average conversion rate of two to three percent, the company would theoretically make 8,000 to 12,000 unique sales every single month. The investment in an SEO campaign is a significantly better one compared to the traditional marketing dollars that would be spent on an advertising method as successful as this.

 
Even the second rated position on search engine results pages yield a noteworthy outcome. The second position receives about 20 percent of clicks. The remaining 40 percent of clicks typically go to the following eight links. This is why it is vital to appear on the first page of any search engine for each keyword.

 
A knowledgeable SEO company would also conduct research to find more keywords for higher ranking. Keyword research is a vital piece of the SEO puzzle, and one in which SEO companies with best practices are well versed. Conducting keyword research involves compiling data on any and all words related to a company’s products or services. Those that are used most often in searches are chosen to be featured on company web sites and blogs.

 
Naturally, not every business is as widely searched as used cars. However, with millions of people searching the Internet 24 hours of every day, every business has a large enough audience to make its online efforts more than profitable. With professional research, there can be hundreds of keywords identified for an SEO campaign. These keywords can bring in thousands of interested visitors, and it is effective for virtually every type of business.

 
Search engine optimization is a reality. The practice of using SEO in web sites and blogs is one that is determining the future of marketing. Every day, more companies realize the full potential of SEO and utilize it to bring more and more visitors to their online storefronts. It is an irreplaceable part of business and those who do not take full advantage of SEO practices will not be successful in their online efforts. Taking advantage of professional SEO experts can put new businesses on the map and can only serve to increase the achievements of already established companies.