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When you first got on the Internet (way back when…), what method did you use to track down and find the information you were looking for on the World Wide Web?Chances are you used one of the many search engines/directories. Even though there are literally hundreds and thousands of search engines, you probably used one of the top 10 (like Yahoo!, AltaVista, AOL, HotBot, InfoSeek, etc., etc., etc.)

This is exactly how most people (over 90%) find information on the Net when they first get on. It’s not the most effective way, but it’s a start. As time goes on and you become more familiar (and comfortable) with the Net, you add in alternate ways of finding information… Through banner ads, affiliate and associate programs, newsletter/ezine ads, referral links, etc.

Just as there is no one “best” way of finding information or a Web site on the Net, there is also no best way of promoting your business, product or service either.

So, why is a good search engine ranking so important… if at all?

Well, the truth is that it is and it’s not. Let’s take quick look at the pros and cons of search engine promotion.

Pros

	It’s free! It doesn’t cost you anything to get placed on the search engines. This is very important for the beginning entrepreneur when money is tight and you’re still learning the ropes of Internet marketing.
	Lots of traffic! A good/high search engine ranking can bring in lots of traffic… targeted traffic! A potential customer types in a specific keyword search and if your site comes up, then it’s a direct hit. They will be coming to your site because they want to. They are not forced, tricked or persuaded by outside forces.
	It levels out the playing field. The truth is that a big Fortune 500 company has no advantage over you, the smaller and sometimes “broke” home based business. You have just as much an opportunity to rank well, and above these big time spenders.
	Results can sometimes be seen very quickly. This is a big bonus, especially if you are in desperate need of some initial traffic and sales.
	Search engines are the first place most of the new Internet users go to when searching for information or a product/service (actually, this is true for even the veteran marketer). This is very important because new comers are very open to the Internet and your initial “sales pitch”. They are like kids in a candy store. Because of the high competition and vast amount of information available on the Net, if a “newbie” comes to your site, they will probably buy from you or at least listen to what you have to say. (The theory is that you came first, so “I will trust you first”. This is why Amazon.com or AOL.com have so many loyal customers… they were “first” on the Net!)

Cons

	It’s not very reliable. Sometimes, you can do everything right and use every single search engine trick in the book… and still, some totally lame and untargeted Web site will rank much better than yours. This is a problem that no body can predict with the search engines.
	It’s time consuming. It will take a lot of work to get to the top and stay there! Most search engines change their ranking criteria’s as often as you change your underwear! What works one day may not work the next. Also, each of the top search engines have their own set of rules, so it will take some time to get used to and juggle everyone’s “do’s and don’ts”.
	It takes too long! Even though you may see results within a week on some of the search engines, on others… it can take up to 6-8 weeks before you are listed, let alone get traffic to your site. That’s a lot of time that is wasted that could be better used for other promotional tactics.
	Secret search engine tactics are hidden! There are plenty of tried and proven ways of getting and keeping a good ranking on the search engines. In fact, there are 3 methods (maybe one or two more) that only a small handful of Internet marketers know of that can literally drive thousands of very targeted customers to your site… with very little effort or upkeep on your part… for pennies! But guess what, these “secret” tactics are just that - secret and well-guarded! So, the problem is that most of the information that your read on the Net (at least 98% of it) is just a bunch of bull or it’s totally out dated. This, ironically will get you in very big trouble with some of the search engines and you may be booted of their directory forever! (this is because a lot of the search engine tactics on the Net are considered as “spam” to the search engines… and this is a big no-no!) You need to be very careful about where you get your search engine information… VERY careful!