Why There Is A Need For Search Engine Marketing

There are various tools of internet marketing and search engine marketing is also a type of internet marketing. In search engine marketing the websites are promoted by increasing their visibility in search engine result pages or SERPs.

There are various methods which are used for search engine marketing like search engine optimization, paid inclusion and paid placement. Most of the websites which rely on search engine marketing tools argue that search engine marketing is cheap as compare to other marketing tools like search engine optimization services are very cheap.

Popularity of search engine marketing is increasing among the online businesses and companies. According to a research conducted in North America, billions of US dollars are spent each year on search engine marketing. Moreover, the percentage of search engine marketing is also increasing rapidly as compare to the previous years. Some of the largest vendors of search engine marketing are Microsoft adCentre, Google Adwords and Yahoo search marketing. Therefore, we can say that search engine marketing is becoming the most important internet marketing tool and it is also overwhelming traditional advertising.

Search engine marketing started in the late 90s because the number of websites increased in the mid to late 90s. During this period search engines started their services to make the access of information easier for the internet users. The keenness of people of using search engines as a tool for finding information motivated the search engines to develop their business models to finance their services. For example, in 1996 Open Text introduced pay per click program. In 2000, Google, the largest search engine offered its search engine marketing program. In 2001, Danny Sullivan proposed the term, "search engine marketing" for search engine optimization services, paid listing and developing online strategies for businesses. Search engine marketing has emerged as the primary money maker tool in the year 2007.

The online businesses which are using search engine marketing as an internet marketing tool admit its importance therefore, the reliance of online companies on search engine marketing is enhancing. Those online businesses which are not benefiting from these programs are also getting consultancy services to avail these opportunities. There are always pros and cons of such programs therefore, increasing reliance of the online companies on search engine marketing is also creating controversies. However, through rules and restrictions, efforts are made to control unethical activities. By following those rules online companies can promote their activities and enhance their visibility through search engine marketing.