Sponsored Links
When you type a query into a search engine, it produces a page of results from an index of websites that match
certain keyphrases. This index is compiled by a web crawler, which is an automated web browser that follows
every link it finds. The index is stored in a central database, and used to quickly return a list of sites
when users query the search engine. When you enter your search text, the search engine pulls up websites
that match your query, sorted by relevance. Relevance is often a loose term, though, since the process is
automated and you don't always get the exact information you want on your first search. In addition to
normal links, the search engine also returns a list of helpful sponsored links.
Regular Links and Sponsored Links
Sponsored links are links to sites of companies that have bid for their link to be highlighted
when certain search terms are entered. A number of factors determine the rank of the results, including
price of bid, quality of site content, and how popular the site has been with past users--so the best
sites are the most likely to turn up in the sponsored links column. While many people worry about the
cost of a sponsored link, a standard link may end up costing more than it's worth if it turns up on
the sixth or seventh page of a search query. Sponsored links can have a set daily budget as well,
so that marketing costs don't change unexpectedly for businesses on a tight budget--once the click-throughs
have maxed out the day's budget, the link stops appearing.
Early search engines would simply count the number of times a keyphrase appeared on a site, and assume
that the site with the most matches was the most relevant. However, these models were quickly upgraded, and
are now trained to filter out sites that just repeat keyphrases. Today, the artificial intelligence that
guides search engines is getting even better, quickly learning how to filter out sites that have redundant
content or other tricks that once would win a high search ranking. At Digital nSite, we understand how
the web crawler works, and we know how to optimize the traffic your website receives.
Today, in addition to top-quality content, sponsored links are the best way to make sure that your business
comes up in an internet search. Typically, the price of a sponsored link campaign will depend on how many people
follow your link--also called "pay per click" advertising. We here at Digital nSite have worked with pay per click
advertising for years, and know how to customize your campaign and keyphrases to get you the most business
for your investment.
