Earlier this year, Facebook dethroned Google as the world’s most popular website, with Facebook receiving more traffic in America than Google. Yet search advertising consultancies that place paid adverts around the internet are using almost none of their budget on adverts placed on Facebook. There are many reasons as to why not. Is applying search engine optimisation still going to be more successful for the near future?
The traditional search facilities may be generating less traffic than the social services but naturally how those sites are used is very different. By the nature in which they are used, the typical customer will spend a lot less time in a search engine but with a particular purpose. The speed of reaching an outcome is more important. The traditional search facilities are still a vital sales tool, and search optimization is still a vital aid. A lot of new traffic can still be generated with an improved search engine positioning.
On a social networking site, most of that additional traffic must be using the site for its given purpose – being social. There will be very little trading activity. It is difficult to see how a client searching for an organisation to provide services would use a social network. If prospective clients are spending so much time in a network that is apparently very popular then that advertising must cost more than advertising elsewhere.
It could be argued that Facebook groups are more focused by their nature, with groups that are agglomerations of similar people with similar needs – but it is proving difficult to target adverts at users in a way that using skills that apply to specific keywords on search facilities through search optimization or even pay-per-click advertising can. With increasing concerns about privacy inside Facebook, any publicity activity could be misdirected anyway.
It appears that there is also a problem with Facebook in applying a daily limit to advertising expenditure. This can be a concernto anyone using pay-per-click advertising, but should not be a concern to an organisation limiting itself to using search engine optimisation tools as the search optimization consultancy should have a clear fee structure based on the results of their efforts. Using the tools provided by the search engines, the impact of search optimization is also easy to assess – tools that Facebook currently lacks. It is also easy for a website’s owner to assess the effect of optimization just by examining the resulting natural search engine positioning.
The social networking sites such as Facebook may be getting busier but there are still many prospective clients for whom the social networking sites are a complete irrelevance. Those prospective clients will still originate from a good search engine positioning on a conventional search engine. search engine optimisation can improve your organisation’s website and help provide the information the prospective client really wants. Conventional searches are very open, with no need to be a member of anything at all. While the search advertising consultancies are still cautious about Facebook and the other social services, Google and the other conventional search facilities will still be a valuable source of business for your organization. search optimization will still make a great difference.
