Websites And Web Traffic: Common Misconceptions

July 1, 2008; 03:07 AM

(OPENPRESS) July 1, 2008 -- Performing well on the web and the Internet is more important than ever. Each and every day, more and more people are learning how to use the Internet and are visiting company websites for goods and services. But not all websites have high web traffic, and there are some common misconceptions that exists in the minds of many website owners that may be preventing them from taking the Internet marketing actions necessary to make their websites profitable.

“Build it and they will come.”
There is a popular misconception among many business owners that once they’ve spent a lot of money building their website, that web traffic will automatically start going to the site.

“If only that were true,” says Internet Marketing Guru Thomas Faulkner. “I talk to clients all of the time who are very frustrated when, after spending lots of money to construct a website, don’t have anyone visits their site,” he says. “But that is a lot like building a big beautiful building in the middle of Alaska. With the Internet, it’s still “location, location, location,” and you still have to build the right online marketing infrastructure to drive traffic to your website.”

In other words, high web traffic doesn’t “just magically happen”. There are fairly standard Internet and search engine marketing actions that can and should be done in order to increase web traffic and send Internet users to your website. Having a big, nice beautiful website is a definite plus, but unless marketing actions are taken, it is unlikely to generate traffic all on its own.

“My Website is already highly ranked.”
Some website owners have a misunderstanding when it comes to Google rankings and how search engines work. The truth of the matter is that there is really no such thing as being “highly ranked” on Google or any other search engine—at least not in a general sense.

“I’ve worked with many clients who have told me right off the bat that they were already highly ranked on Google,” says Faulkner who works with MarketShareServices.com (www.marketshareservices.com). “Then, when I do the appropriate search engine research for their site, they’re no where to be found.”

The problem, it seems, is one of understanding and terminology.

“After getting back to the client about the search engine findings, I’ve then heard “No, you’re wrong. When I put the name of my company into Google, it comes up number one, so my website is highly ranked.” Of course, there is a misunderstanding of what is meant by being highly ranked,” he says wryly. “A Google or search engine ranking is always in connection with some keyword or phrase. A website can be number one under one term, and no where to be found under another—even when both terms are within the industry.”

To many persons familiar with Google searches this may be an obvious point, but in the world of Internet marketing, it is an important distinction that website owners must understand.

“Google Ad Word Are The Same As Google Rankings.”
A word to the wise: Google Ad Words and natural or organic Google rankings are totally different. Just because your Google ad might appear first under a particular search term does not mean that you're highly ranked on the Google search engine.

“Website owners have to understand that Google Ad words and organic Google search term results are two totally different things,” says Faulkner. “You pay money—oftentimes a lot of money—to be highly placed with Google Ad Words under a particular search term. The organic Google result is your ranking by Google for a search term. Again, just because you show up first on a Google Ad Word doesn’t mean you are highly ranked by Google.”

The confusion is understandable because it is (purposely) not always immediately obvious that an Ad Word advertisement isn’t an organic Google result. Faulkner makes it clear, however, which result is more valuable to the website owner.

“A website that is number one under the right keywords could be worth literally millions and millions of dollars,” he says. “You pick the industry, and I will take the number one position under the key search terms for that industry every time versus an Ad Word advertisement. There just isn’t any comparison in terms of web traffic and Internet sales.”

It’s not that Faulkner has anything against Google Ad Words. He just feels very strongly that getting highly ranked on the organic Google search engine results is one of the main keys to high web traffic.

To be continued.
For more information on Internet Marketing, contact the MarketShareServices.com Director of Information at info@marketshareservices.com or call him at 800-771-0460.