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.