Have you ever gone online to do a keyword search to find your company and … NOTHING! Your site is not even on the radar of Google, MSN or any of the other search engines you've spent prayers and time on.

Yes, life is not fair and neither are search engines. They pick up what they pick up, but there are a number of factors involved – and let's not forget competitors. Well, just maybe the site wasn't optimized as it could have been. Or maybe the site was No. 1 last month – but nowhere to be seen today, because the search engines changed their formulas for ranking Web sites.

Do you want guaranteed positions in keyword searches? Then buy them!

Major search engines such as Google, Overture and Find What.com allow advertisers to bid against each other for the placement of ads tied to keywords.

No, this isn't something only big companies can afford to do. An account for your business can be opened for $5 to $50, and bids typically start at 5 cents or 10 cents per click. Paying one penny above another advertiser moves your listing above his. Beyond the account set-up fees, your credit card is charged only for the clicks on your listings. So, the more you pay, the more ad viewers are clicking through to your Web site.

Rated Best ROI in study

Pay-Per-Placement advertising offers a greater return on investment than all other forms of online advertising, including opt-in e-mail marketing, banner advertising, and paid inclusion in search rankings.

Pay-for-placement advertising does not replace Search Engine Optimization. Both strategies are necessary in online marketing today. But pay-for-placement is a short-term strategy that can have immediate results and benefits. It's an instant way of boosting qualified site traffic and sales. Search Engine Optimization is more of a long-term strategy for a business. If your optimization efforts aren't paying off, or you want to test a new promotion now; it's time you considered buying your way to the top.

Strongest growth in online ad sector

Online advertising as a whole generated $7.27 billion in U.S. revenue in 2003 and is expected in 2004 to eclipse its previous high of $8.09 billion. The sharp rebound is largely due to the success of paid search listings, which have been available since the late 1990's.

But, as you might expect, Search Engine Advertising isn't a brainless activity. Your watchful eye is needed to make sure you're attracting buyers and not browsers because browsers can dilute your return on investment (ROI).

1. Your mission statement (what does your company do?)
2. Target market (whom does your company serve?)
3. Unique selling points (why your company?)
4. Calls to action (what should prospects do on your site?)

What sets you apart from your competitors if you are all bidding on the same keywords? Your ad listing. Write an ad title and description that includes a benefit that your business provides to clients, and offer an incentive.  Study your competitors to create a more persuasive call to action

Don't send people to your home page. They've been promised something specific in the paid listing, so take them to the page in your site that gives it to them. That means either a product or offer page, or a special landing page designed just for that ad. Many businesses create a special landing page just for search-engine ads.

To invite the sale further, put all critical information "above the fold" of the landing page. You need an information-rich page. Put whatever you've mentioned in the ad listing right on the page, making it easy to see. Reducing navigational choices on your site also can be helpful toward closing the sale.

Pay-for-placement advertising has been called by some the most effective method of direct marketing today. The results are immediate and very profitable for a lot of businesses