Times are changing…with DVRs, Hulu and Netflix, who watches live TV? With iPods and mp3 players, who listens to radio? With iPads, Tablets and Smartphones, who reads news in print?

Eyeballs and eardrums are no longer monopolized by traditional media. Matter of fact, they’re flocking to a new medium at an unprecedented rate. Whether you realize it or not, your attention has already shifted to the Internet…

Consider the amount of time you spend on an Internet-connected device versus time spent on any traditional medium listed above. Then consider the fact that the entire time you’re using the Internet you’re being advertised to.

But how will I get noticed on the Internet?

What exactly is the most coveted spot available to online advertisers? The Internet is so expansive and diverse it’s nearly impossible to find an advertising opportunity with the potential to reach everyone. But, it’s not impossible. It’s right in front of you. It’s Google.

Search results are the Super Bowl of Internet Marketing. Of course, the Super Bowl airs once a year, Google on the other hand, processes 3 BILLION searches daily. It’s not only about driving traffic to your website–appearing at the top of search results can actually DEFINE a BRAND.

Think about it…who do you trust more often than Google? Businesses that show up in the first few spots of search results are granted instant credibility. Even if the person doesn’t click-through to your website, they’ve seen your name. They’ve been exposed to your brand.

Are search results sexy enough?

But it’s just plain text–a title, a brief description, a URL–my three million dollar Super Bowl commercial had talking babies AND slow motion girls in bikinis. You expect me to believe somebody will remember a brand simply from a few lines of text?

Yes! That’s the beauty of Internet Marketing, especially SEO. People absorb and retain the information contained in search results because they sought it out. The Super Bowl is probably the ONLY example of people actively engaging with advertising on a traditional medium. But each of Google’s 3 billion daily searches is guaranteed to engage it’s targeted audience.

So what’s the drawback?

SEO is not as black and white as traditional advertising. If you pay 3 million dollars for a Super Bowl Ad you know you’re going to see it during the broadcast. But if you want your Law firm to start showing up in search results for ‘Best Defense Attorney’ it may take some time.

It’s important for businesses to be patient with SEO. Creating a brand with Internet marketing doesn’t happen overnight. Search marketing drives your brand slowly into the subconscious of Internet users before they even realize they’re being advertised to.

We’ve always focused on Internet Marketing’s ability to ‘increase traffic’ and ‘generate leads’, but now we must acknowledge the medium’s growing BRANDING potential.

Maybe SEO should be re-branded as SEE–Search Engine EXPOSURE.

2 Responses

1. Julia Vie Says:
   February 18th, 2011 at 8:45 pm

   So do you think it is through keywords you can get traffic or who would you recommend going about using Google Adwords ect? Regardless, great post!

2. seo Says:
   February 21st, 2011 at 4:34 pm

   I love that – SEE as a rebrand. With the increase of tv enabled internet this is on the money true.

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