This is the Safari online edition of the printed book.

Second only to e-mail, the most common activity for U.S. Internet users is searching for information. A few years ago, obtaining a high click-through rate within a search engine was solely based on search engine optimization, where web site design had to have elements that appealed to the search engines. While good web site design remains key to attaining listings in certain search engines, most search engines allow marketers to buy specific keyword positions in addition to, or instead of, programming their way to the top. This new advertising opportunity means that small businesses can compete directly with large corporations without having bigger, better web sites. Paid search engine listings can point to any page within a web site. So today, a top keyword position is less about luck and more about strategy and businesses with out a strategy are losing sales. Fortunately, with a little education and pre-planning, any company can launch a search engine advertising program - within days. This book reveals how to effectively buy a top position on the major search engines and directories. Readers will discover how to avoid common pitfalls such as poor-performing ad copy and low visitor-to-buyer conversions. This book teaches novices how to immediately market their web sites in search engines. It also offers tips for advanced marketers to evaluate and improve their current results.

Amazon.com® Reader Reviews (Ranked by Helpfulness)

Average Amazon.com® Rating:  Based on 22 Ratings

Outdated, outdated, outdated - 2006-04-04
Reviewer Rating:
I'm sure this book was cutting edge when it was first published in February of 2004, but now it's for the most part outdated. For the absolute beginner to this area, there are some good general points, but references to long-since defunct or consolidated web companies (Urchin, Inktomi,etc) make it difficult to understand just what's still relevant. Google and Yahoo (and soon Microsoft) are defining the new landscape of this field as we speak...Try the new book from IBM press, "Search Engine Marketing"....chock full of the latest (as late as can be in this field) info.

Good writing, but too vague - 2005-12-14
Reviewer Rating:
This book is fairly well-written, but ultimately, it's frustrating because it doesn't tell the reader how to deal with specific search engine ad programs. Instead, Catherine Seda talks about categories of search engine advertising like "Fixed Placement," "Pay for Placement," "Submit URL," and "Trusted Feed." I keep reading these categories and wondering, "Is the model she's referring to here like Google? If so, how is Google different? How do all these programs rate for popularity, bang for the buck, etc.?" I guess Ms. Seda avoided these specifics so that her book didn't look outdated too quickly. I'd rather have a book that was extremely valuable at one point than one that tries to dance around the specific facts I'm craving.

It's a Good Read for the Money - 2006-07-06
Reviewer Rating:
It's not a bad overview of Search Engine Marketing, but I wouldn't recommend stopping with this read.

Some of the things Catherine covers are good and don't change. As an example, the chapters that provide Copyrighting Tips and that talk about how to improve conversions on Landing Pages. Even though they are only providing a glimpse as to what you need to know, many of those things do not change from year to year.

Other things however are going to require the reader further study. What one needs to focus on today to get good rankings is quite different from the day this book was written.

An example is paid inclusion; someone reading this should know that you don't need to pay to get indexed now. Sitemaps, getting backlinks from ranked sites that get regularly crawled, directories, blogs etc..

But it's good to absorb whatever one can. Even if someone comes away with a few ideas they didn't have before to improve their bottom line, it's worth the small price of this book.

Direct and Authoritative - 2006-09-04
Reviewer Rating:
The SEO proces can seem daunting and Ms Seda recognizes that fact. She gives a methodical, if not also logical trail to follow and has obviously done laborious research; which pays off. It may appear technical and dry, but the details are necessary to convey the ins and outs of SEO. Bravo and it will remain a part of my business reference library.

Recommended for any business library - 2009-08-13
Reviewer Rating:
SEARCH ENGINE ADVERTISING: BUYING YOUR WAY TO THE TOP TO INCREASE SALES appears in its second updated edition to show how to obtain top positions in the major search engines, increase conversations that lead visitors to purchase, and use paid search advertising even if you're a novice. Learn the difference between profitable and unprofitable clicks and structure campaigns for concrete results with this powerful guide, recommended for any business library.

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