Pay-For-Inclusion and Pay-For-Placement Services

Most businesses today understand that having an internet presence is an integral part of any marketing plan. However, having a website that actually increases your company’s profitability is still a complex and often mysterious process for most business owners. If you are lucky enough to have your own web developer, the prospects of turning your site into one that substantially increases your profit margin is certainly a viable one. Of course the traffic (potential customers) that reaches your website must in some way be measurable in order to determine whether or not you are getting a worthwhile ROI (Return On Investment). Many companies have been enticed by Pay-For-Inclusion and Pay-for Placement services only to find that although they may be getting more traffic to their website, there is little or no increase in sales.

In Pay-For-Inclusion search engines and services, the website operator agrees to pay a fee on an annual or monthly basis with a guarantee that their site will be found within a particular search engine index. Unfortunately, this only ensures that you will be listed and indexed but there is no guarantee of placement or of how relevant the traffic that gets directed to your site will be. In order for any Pay-For-Inclusion service to produce a positive ROI, your business needs to have a professional SEO optimization plan in place. When a Pay-For-Inclusion program is combined with an all-inclusive SEO marketing strategy both and your customers will experience a win/win situation. Your customers are satisfied because they found exactly what they wanted right away and of course you have gained a new (and happy) client.

Pay-For-Placement programs ensure that your website will hold a predefined position within a search engine and (for a fee) maintain a high ranking within specific search engines. Although the thought of a high ranking position seems to be the way to go, this method also has its pitfalls. Since you are required to pay a predetermined amount each time someone clicks through to your site, these fees can add up quickly. Unless the increased traffic you get is from individuals who are specifically looking for your particular product or service, your ROI will decrease quickly and significantly.

Unless your website includes a proper Search Engine Optimization plan, your company’s ranking will not be based on content relevant searches. A professional SEO strategy is essential for any web based marketing plan to be successful in order to increase relevant traffic along with your ROI.