StephenWinbaum
Communications Coordinator
/ Moderator
Feb 4, 2009, 1:26 PM
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Senior Housing Websites and Organic Search Results
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An organic market conjures up ideas of pesticide-free food produced with minimal processing and free from GMOs. Pricey products and knowledgeable post-hippie staff and devoted customers round out the picture.
In Internet terminology, organic search marketing is quite different from the organic food model. Organic search is important to senior housing websites because it determines the number of visitors – online traffic – to your site.
Organic search, also called pure search, is the most reliable search model. Basically, organic search produces rankings in search engines like Google that are measured through targeted traffic. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) increases traffic, elevates rank, and works with keywords and trustworthy links from other sites. The Internet is an organic whole.
To extend the organic food market metaphor, organic search is more reliable than the alternative Internet model pay-per-click (PPC). PPC may seem attractive to senior housing websites because it has a quick set-up, pays dividends immediately, and doesn’t require the patience of building a more lasting organic ranking.
PPC rankings are often sponsored links that entitle top ranks to websites. But, over 80% of search engine results pages go to organic listings versus paid search ads, a valid indicator that retirement facilities will get results with organic search, because it is more trusted.
There are other advantages to utilizing organic search. Again to borrow on the organic food market metaphor, organic search is free from harmful pesticides that can infect the PPC model. In the online world, pesticides are comparable to click fraud, a systemic Internet deception that can rack up counterfeit fees from unsuspecting websites. Click fraud is perpetrated by dishonest advertising firms that click through sites to increase traffic statistics at the expense of website owners.
'Clickers' can extract pay per click fees from retirement websites and online ads in the guise of robotic programs and human 'clickers' working from home for several hundreds of dollars a week – also hired by advertising firms. Organic search is immune from click fraud.
Pay-per-click was originally championed as the metrics solution to unquantifiable data from billboard and print advertising; but click fraud has damaged its reputation. An overwhelming number of search engine results pages go to organic listings versus paid search ads. Also, unlike organic food, organic search rates are significantly lower than Google AdWords or Overture.
Organic search realizes a higher targeted demographic for senior housing listings because retirement facilities acquire superior searches for senior terms that match their programs. This advantage means that senior housing owners and directors will be able to budget effectively knowing their exact costs.
Senior housing facilities need a strategy of investment: pay-per-click and search engine optimization. They should use both, but budgetary constraints force them to make a choice. It is imperative that the senior housing industry wisely spend within their marketing budgets.
That's where RetirementHomes.com's organic search engine marketing pays dividends: Organic search optimization leads to higher Return on Investment (ROI) than paid search campaigns and is less expensive.
Stephen Winbaum is the Communications Coordinator of RetirementHomes.com
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(This post was edited by StephenWinbaum on Feb 5, 2009, 8:51 AM)
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