It is a different world we live in today. Advertising is ever changing and marketers must keep up with technological advancements. We all know what type of impact the internet has had on the way businesses advertise. The internet has also impacted on how companies spend their advertising dollars.
Several years ago getting to the top of a search result was solely based on good optimization techniques (natural or organic techniques). In today’s business world it common to see businesses try to “buy” their way to the top. Meaning that the more money a company can spend on “key words” the better chance they have of being at the top of the search.
This may seem like a perfect solution; if you want to find something on the internet you search it, and hopefully you get the best possible match. Unfortunately, it seems that the only companies that come up are ones who can afford to buy as many “key words” as they can. It can be very frustrating and difficult when trying to find something local or unique to Nanaimo. Small companies simply cannot afford to “buy their way to the top”
It may seem that this issue is not that big of a problem, right now. However, I can see a future where search engines become a place where companies can simply advertise; that’s it. Being at the top of the search will go to the highest bidder, who ever that may be. I realize that companies like Google and Yahoo must make money in order to survive, but I see this problem going too far.
A happy medium must be found; a search result should contain paid links, and ones that have come up because they were the best match. “Key words” should remain the focal point of any search; however, a big budget should not determine who gets those keywords.
