Introduction

In this chapter each of the different elements that go into creating a good search engine marketing plan will be studied in detail. The purpose of this chapter is to allow a full understanding of what the differences are with, for example, search engine submission or tracking mechanisms so that when tactical decisions are to be made, what the best approach to developing and implementing a strategy will be.

Each of the following components is high in importance when creating your search engine marketing plan (see Chapter 9). The search engine industry is still, compared with other industries, in its infancy but a large number of common characteristics are starting to develop and are becoming the norm within search engine marketer behavior. Having said this, the second constant or norm within this industry is change and as such many of the names associated with engine types, such as Overture and paid for placement search or Google and the organic (natural SSO) search, may well not be the same in 6 months time. The fact remains, however, that the paid for placement industry exists as does the natural search space and therefore regardless of any differences they still become mechanisms, or tactics, of use for the search marketer regardless of who might be providing them. Saying this another way, should MSN start providing a dedicated PFP service and Overture change from PFP to organic only, the mechanisms by which optimization of the type of search still exist, and...