Due to increasing digitalization, companies are increasingly shifting their marketing activities to the Internet. Customers and prospects are looking for information, products, and services. Search engines bring all market participants together. They are the hub of the web, as they make the searcher's job much easier. Major search providers such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo provide a comprehensive market overview for the topic being searched. No one has to leave their home to find the information they need. Most people search the Internet first when they have a specific need. This makes the web a so-called pull medium. Users search for our product or service. They obtain detailed information and then make their decision. Users only notice providers that appear in the search results of Google and other search engines.

Why is search engine marketing the most important online marketing channel?

Online marketing enables a different approach compared to traditional marketing measures. In so-called push marketing, advertisers distribute their messages unsolicited. A prime example is TV advertising. Since this type of advertising also reaches people who are not part of the target audience, it leads to wastage. On the internet, however, users actively search for topics of interest and often already have purchase intent. Accordingly, advertising in search engines serves as a valuable signal that users are happy to receive. As a result, advertising is not intrusive. This helps minimize wastage. We need to be present where users are searching for our product or service. That’s why every company wants to appear as high as possible in the search results—ideally in first place. Unfortunately, competition is fierce in many industries, and space in the results is limited. It is therefore essential to do everything possible to rank as high as possible. There are two approaches to this: search engine optimization and search engine advertising.

Two sides of the same coin

Both approaches aim to make a homepage or online shop more visible on the internet. With search engine optimization, we optimize our website so that it is easy to read and index. The website is aligned with search engine guidelines and user experience. The main focus here is on user expectations. Google and other search engines want to deliver exactly what the user is looking for. Strictly speaking, it is optimization for the search engine. It consists of a series of measures both within and outside the website. The search engine lists the results according to their relevance to the search queries entered. The search robots comb through the index and evaluate the websites according to many different criteria. Google takes up to 200 aspects into account.

SEO consists of the following three areas of optimization:

• OnPage, on a specific page
• OnSite, on the entire domain
• OffPage, outside our website

These include measures on each individual website, such as an interesting article that provides information on the topic being searched for. There are also technical aspects to consider. For example, a website must open quickly and be visible on all devices. If everything is in order here, on-page optimization ensures that the website is easily accessible for search engines. Off-page, we take care of link building to achieve popularity, relevance, and authority. Links from reputable sites to our website are recommendations. In the eyes of the search engine and the user, this makes the website trustworthy. It goes without saying that good and unique content is essential. Create the website for your readers, because Google recognizes well-written texts.

These features indicate optimization for Google:

• The search results are not paid for.
• Long-term and continuous optimization
• The ranking is based on an algorithm.
• A website must be user-friendly
• Good visibility on all devices is essential

SEO is not a one-time measure

Since the search algorithm of a search engine is constantly evolving, optimization is not a one-time task and requires a lot of patience. It is therefore designed for the long term and only leads to good rankings after some time. It can take up to six months before a site appears among the top results. Achieving top positions requires a great deal of expertise.

Search engine advertising for short-term placements

When you launch a new website, you don't want to wait six months to see results. The same applies to product launches in online shops. SEA (search engine advertising) can help. In addition to organic results, search engines offer paid advertising spaces that can be displayed in the context of search results. When you enter a search term, you will also see the paid search results. Here you can buy a prominent position in the paid search results for your online shop or homepage.

The search result displayed as an advertisement

Paid ads appear above the organic results and are marked with the label “Ad.” These positions are highly competitive, so the relevance of keywords is crucial. You need to find out what people are searching for. There are numerous tools for this, some provided directly by the search engines themselves. Search engines make their money through these ads. Once a campaign ends, visibility disappears again. That’s why this approach is especially suitable for websites promoting a specific campaign or for entering the market as a startup. It quickly brings new visitors to the website—with no waiting time.

Advertising in a search engine is characterized by the following points:

• The search results are paid for.
• Suchergebnisse liegen schnell vor und Kampagnen lassen sich sofort starten
• The price depends on supply and demand.
• You have full control over the budget used
• Advertisement texts and search terms (keywords) can be easily controlled.

High costs may arise

The cost-per-click for each search term can be very expensive depending on the level of competition. Search engines use the pay-per-click principle, meaning costs are incurred only when a user clicks on your ad. Each keyword has its own click price, for which you place a bid. The higher your bid, the sooner your ad will appear. In addition, the text ad should be written with a customer-centric focus and spark curiosity. This leads to a rapid increase in traffic. You also benefit from precise targeting, as ads are delivered based on the keywords you define. Prices vary depending on the time of day and the search term, so it's best to use professional tools here. As a full-service agency, we support you in all areas of search engine marketing.

Our conclusion

To achieve short-term success and boost your business, placing online ads via Google Ads is a smart move. This quickly gains you attention and increases traffic to your website. At the same time, we strengthen your position through search engine optimization to ensure long-term success. Get advice now and launch your campaign.