Ladies and Gentlemen…. For the thousands reading blogs, and the millions & MILLIONS surfing the web…. Let’s get ready to RUUUUMBLE!! In one corner, we have the flashy, quick-hitting, upstart – Pay Per Click (PPC). In the other, the grizzled, yet savvy, veteran – Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Both have their fans, both have their detractors. Who will win the search engine Marketing/Advertising bout for the ages? It’s anybody’s guess at this point. 

Pay-per-click, or it’s more popular abbreviation PPC, is a form of sponsored internet marketing in which advertisers only pay when one of their ads is clicked. It is a great way to generate traffic to your website, and works best for a highly targeted audience for a limited amount of time. However, if not done properly, it can be a vacuum for advertising budgets. If poorly managed, you could spend a ton of money for a ton of visits, but very few sales. So, for every yin there’s a yang. As with everything, there is both good and bad to PPC advertising – we’ll look at both.

Think about the last time you did an online search. Was it from a PC? A Mac? More than likely it was from a mobile device – smart phone, tablet, or the mysterious ‘phablet’. More and more people search on the go, whenever a thought strikes their fancy. We no longer have to make a note, mental or on paper, and look up a topic when we get home. Putting the worldwide web at our fingertips has given us access to instant information.

Okay, so maybe it’s not as sexy or interesting as the semi-controversial 1989 Steven Soderbergh film Sex, Lies, and Videotape. But, combined, 'Sales, Leads, and Video' should be the most important components of your business’ marketing plan. Video is taking over, if it hasn’t already, the internet. When was the last time you (business or pleasure) went online – social media, search, email – and were not directed to a video of some sort? Informational, how-to, humorous, they’re all out there to make your web experience more informative, educational, and enjoyable. In fact, Syndacast digital marketing firm estimates that within the next few years video will account for 74% of all web traffic. Let that sink in for a moment. Three-quarters of all online traffic will be driven by video! 

To blog, or not to blog, that is the question. The answer is not so simple. Blogging can fuel your business by boosting search engine traffic, and can provide positive returns on investment. But, it’s not your only option. There are alternatives out there. For instance, you can promote online contact and activity information on a dedicated page on your website. Then you can spend your time on social networks and communities such as Facebook, Twitter, Google+, LinkedIn, reaching your target audience through posts, comments, and engaging content. There’s a network or online community for every niche market and industry. Blogging is not right for every business, and therein lies the quandary – is it right for your business? How are you to know?