Internet marketing requires extensive skills and resources in order to achieve significant success. These skills include SEO or Search Engine Optimization, SEM or Search Engine Marketing, SMO or Social Media Optimization and SMM or Social Media Marketing. Additionally, many savvy marketers use direct and offline marketing to drive traffic to their internet marketing campaigns. Understanding the tools of the internet marketing trade is imperative in order to capitalize on the vast opportunities it provides.

SEO / Search Engine Optimization

SEO refers to techniques used to improve the organic search engine rankings of a website or web page for particular terms related to that page or site. This includes on page optimization - techniques that directly influence a website, and off page optimization - techniques that influence ranking off the site; especially the building of backlinks.

SEM / Search Engine Marketing

SEM is paid search advertising. When a web user enters a search term in a search engine, the results displayed are both paid and organic; with the paid results often being highlighted and showing at the top, sides and bottom of the site. Organic results are shown in the center. Advertisers can bid to have their ads shown in the top paid positions for a range of selected keywords. With SEM, you can get traffic to a brand new website, a website that hasn't been indexed, or you can send traffic to a landing page or a Facebook or other social media page.

SMO / Social Media Optimization

SMO is to SMM as SEO is to SEM. In more simple terms, SMO refers to practices that make a social media page - like a Facebook profile or Fanpage - more visible in search results of both social media sites and traditional search engines. Social media optimization also takes advantage of careful keyword research and placement, as well as the building of backlinks.

SMM / Social Media Marketing

Social Media Marketing uses social media to display ads in a similar way that SEM displays ads to searchers. For instance, Facebook Advertising allows users to have their ads featured in the sidebar. These ads can be displayed when users search for related information, or they can be displayed based on demographic or geographic targeting data. A proper SMM campaign is the perfect accompaniment to a comprehensive SMO strategy.

Direct and Offline Advertising

Driving traffic to websites via traditional marketing such as Direct Mail, billboards, SMS advertising is an extremely effective way to approach internet marketing. Few IM's take advantage of this fact because so many of them incorrectly perceive a disconnect between internet marketing and direct marketing. However, it's obvious that direct marketing works because web addresses and advertisements for websites are featured everywhere from bus stop benches to signs being towed by airplanes.

The tools of the internet marketing trade are a comprehensive set of skills, technology and resources that would be difficult for one person to manage. In order to dominate your markets, the best chance for success lies with a professional internet marketing firm. To learn more, please use the links below.