Finding The Truth Behind The Myths of Digital Marketing
This internet has an uncanny ability to provide information that constantly contradicts itself. This is how many Digital Marketing Myths get started. Today, I want to help with this problem by dispelling 5 of the biggest Digital Marketing myths!
1# Front Page Google Results Cost Too Much!
One of the main goals of Digital Marketing is to get your website on the front page of Google. Many people assume that this costs so much to achieve that only major corporations can get there, this simply isn't true.
To understand where this myth comes from, we first need to know the difference between Organic Results and Paid Results. Paid Results appear on the Search Engines because of direct payment. These are the results on Search Engines with 'sponsored' or 'ads' written above them. Each time a user clicks on one of these ads the marketer pays a fee. Some of these ads can be really expensive. For example, in the USA the term "accident attorney" costs roughly $40 dollars, but many ads cost less 50 cents a click, and the most expensive Ad is not always the one that gets the best results. A well-targeted Ad can be a very cost-effective way of getting business from the front page of Google, but it does still cost something.
On the other hand, high ranking Organic Search Engine results on Google are the result of well planned and implemented SEO activities such as keyword optimization, and well written and targeted content. The results of SEO are much longer-lasting than paid ads and they can be achieved relatively cheaply with the help of digital marketing tools like rankingCoach. The user doesn't have to pay a penny to maintain front page organic listings. They simply need to ensure that their website is optimized.
2# SEO Results Can Be Achieved Overnight
Occasionally, I come across managers who are frustrated with the results they are getting from SEO activities. They say that: "Last week they spent hours working on their SEO strategy and they aren't seeing the change they hoped for". Going from nowhere to the top of Google, overnight with SEO, is something that perhaps only a new, probably not the very interesting, Marvel superhero could achieve! It may take up to a few months to really get the full benefit of SEO, but be patient - the results are worth it!
The difference between SEO and SEM
Frustration like this is not just because of impatience. It is also the results of another mix up; There is a big difference in the time it takes to see results for SEO and SEM Digital Marketing activities. The results from Search Engine Marketing activities such as Pay Per Click (PPC) Google Ads, can be seen almost instantly. This one of the main benefits of SEM, but the name PPC conveys the catch: it comes at a price. Nevertheless, if you need quick results SEM can still be a great option. If you are looking for a little help getting this right, rankingCoach 360 shows you how to quickly and easily create budget controlled professionally targeted Google Ads in 3 clicks.
On the other hand, the results of SEO campaigns take much longer. These kinds of results are cumulative. This is because they need a lot more crawling and indexing from Search Engines before the full results can be seen. SEO applications like rankingCoach make sure you are on track. Don't give up too early on SEO. With the right SEO strategy and a little time, you can achieve the best organic rankings, meaning long term visibility at a fraction of the cost of SEM.
3# Digital Marketing or Web Marketing?
It is hard to believe that the internet has been a marketing channel for over twenty years. This is the origin of the mixup; web marketing was a term used in those days. In the US, which is arguably the home of Digital Marketing, web marketing sounds very 'old school'. It makes digital marketers think of the clicking and beeping pre-broadband era modems, Yahoo and AOL being the top places to be on the world wide web. Those were the days when Google was a young upstart and the internet bubble was yet to burst. Back in the days of Web Marketing, the key areas for marketing with the internet were banner advertisements and emails.
So, what happened to online marketing? To put it simply, the internet of things happened. In the past decade, technological advancements have built the internet into the foundations of our daily lives. It is no longer just about desktops and websites. Today in most homes you can find many gadgets and devices that use the internet besides smartphones and computers: smart speakers, televisions, even heating systems, and fridges and even children's' toys.
These possibilities are expanding every day. This is why Digital Marketing has become the overarching term to represent all of these new developments in marketing activities.
What about the difference between Digital Marketing and Internet Marketing?
Internet marketing is also an older term and most marketers, especially those in English speaking countries prefer the term Digital Marketing. Though, you may still hear some people talking about Online Marketing as a subset of Digital Marketing. Ultimately, the most important broad term for all marketing practices on the internet is Digital Marketing. Remember that lingo and we'll keep you up to date with the rest.
4# The Magical Backlink Shop
Anyone working on their website's SEO will at some point find themselves in search of backlinks. We all know that backlinks are a big ranking factor.
Now some of you may have heard stories of 'magical' websites where you can bypass this process and just pay money for quality' backlinks. My advice for these websites is the same for gingerbread houses, with witches hiding in them: you should stay a million miles away from these websites!
What these websites offer is referred to in Digital Marketing as BlackHat. This means it is forbidden by Search Engines. In case you were wondering, the BlackHat name doesn't have anything to do with witches. Actually it comes from The Wild West.
Blackhat link building is a really bad idea, you can be delisted from Google for doing Blackhat, and you wouldn't be the first to lose your rankings for doing Blackhat.
Remember, building backlinks is about quality, not quantity. Look at my article on 4 Steps For Getting The Best Backlinks On Your Site for some better ways of getting that backlink-google-juice!
5# SEO: Too Expensive & Complicated for SMEs
Anyone who has been cold-called by a Digital Marketing agency, might think that creating an effective Digital Marketing strategy for their business, requires the effort of doing brain surgery and conducting the London Philharmonic simultaneously. Agencies will also have you believe that Digital Marketing is eye wateringly expensive. Some industry sites don't help either, Search Engine Journal offers an average price range $500 a month for local and $2500- $5000 for a national campaign. Fortunately for the future of SMBs, this isn't the only way. This might be the rough cost of employing someone else to do it for you, but I can assure you, many marketers won't do anything you couldn't, with the right tools.
If money is of no importance to and you have literally no time, agencies may be an option, but it is vitally important to pick the right one or your money will be wasted. If you have a little bit of time to take control of your own Digital Marketing, then look no further than rankingCoach 360: The definitive Digital Marketing solution for independent SMBs for as little as 30 bucks a month.
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