Consumers are searching for companies, products and services in different ways than they have in previous years. Online shopping is a recent phenomenon which is increasing in popularity the world over. People are swapping crowded city malls and stores for the convenience and safety of shopping from the comfort of their own homes. According to a recent global survey conducted by Nielsen on the popularity of online shopping, over 85% of the worlds population is now utilising the internet to make purchases. These trends in purchasing behaviour are drastically impacting upon where existing and potential customers are sourcing information about a company or type of product and service. Not only that but the channels which businesses used to utilise to reach the consumer and engage in valuable conversations with them have changed too.

Company websites now have a greater focus in the overall marketing strategy. However, the presence of a website doesn’t guarantee success. It doesn’t matter how great a product is if there is no awareness that the product actually exists. This is the unfortunate case of many websites which are not optimised to drive traffic to the site. This is where Search Engine Marketing comes into play.

Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Marketing (SEM) are the processes which assist a website's ranking in the Search Engines. Consumers are constantly using keywords to conduct searches in the Search Engines to source information on products and services and it's because of this that keyword analysis is a key component in the SEO process. Keyword analysis involves thoroughly researching terms and phrases that consumers use to search for products and entering them into both the visible and non visible content of the site.

Once a website is well optimised the SEM process begins with building the site's popularity in the Search Engines through link building. This can involve:

• Developing quality links with partners and associates, as well as being listed in key online directories

and;

• Article writing on topics relating to the identified keywords implemented on your website.

The advent of social media has also expanded the channels utilised for Search Engine Marketing. Many sites now provide company blogs, Facebook accounts and Twitter updates which are becoming more and more visible in the major Search Engines.

Finally Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns can be initiated to complement a websites ranking in the organic search results. Often sites which are new or very competitive can take some time to rank and therefore a PPC campaign can help assist with visibility in the Search Engine when consumers are searching for products and services that your business offers.

If your website is not receiving the desired levels of traffic or revenue generation, employ the services of a professional Search Engine Marketing company. You wouldn’t buy a race car and not employ a driver. Even the best website that is not optimised through Search Engine Marketing will simply sit at the side of the roads, while your competitors race ahead.