Did you know that nearly one hundred billion global searches are conducted online each month? Or how about that the vast majority of internet users’ online experiences begin with a visit to a search engine? The bottom line is that in today’s word, more and more consumers are turning to the internet to find and purchase the products and services that they need. Therefore, online marketing is an integral part of running a business. Important aspects of online marketing include search engine optimization, social media marketing, and web design.

As consumers are increasingly relying in search engines, it is crucial to note that SEO, or search engine optimization, is a particuraly important aspect of online marketing. In fact, according to SEMPO, the North American search engine marketing industry will be valued at nearly $23B by the end of 2012. Studies show that when consumers utilize an internet search engine they typically click on the first link that meets their criteria and are unlikely to scroll through pages and pages of results. Therefore, the higher a website appears in search engine results pages, the more likely a consumer is to visit that website. It is also crucial to note that a wesbsite should appear in organic rankings, as opposed to sponsored links. Search engine optimization works to raise a website’s organic ranking by improving a variety of different factors, enhancing web design and web content, and utilizing key word research. Search engine optimization is also a highly effective form of marketing. Leads that are generated through Seo have a 14.6 percent close rate; outbound leads average a 1.7 percent close rate.

Keep in mind that in regards to search engine rankings, Google rankings are especially important. Interestingly, Google is perhaps most recognizable for its “Google Doodles.” The very first Google “doodle” dates back to 1998, and depicts the Burning Man . It was actually intended as a sort of out of office message to let people know that co founders Brin and Page were at the famous Nevada Burning Man festival. The Google ranking algorithm is known as the PageRank algorithm, named for Google’s cofounder. When Google was still a research project, its founders used LEGO bricks to create a storage compartment for the 10 4 GB hard drives they were using to test the PageRank algorithm.