Many Business owners know the internet can be an major resource for promoting their business or making direct sales. However the benefits from internet marketing and Search engine optimization realized by a business can vary greatly based on the goods or services the business provides. Not all businesses will benefit from search marketing equally. An crucial factor in determining the potential benefits of search engine marketing is relevant search volume. For example a business that offers real estate will enjoy a large search volume that crosses all demographics. In contrast a real estate attorney will have a much smaller search volume, and more narrow demographics - yet search remains an important opportunity that should not be ignored despite the lower number of potential visitors. Understanding how your business's niche will affect your potential for search engine traffic is crucial to setting realistic expectations and planning an effective internet marketing strategy. A business for a private consulting firm may also have a low search volume for relevant key words so a different strategy will be needed to increase traffic. For a business with a low search volume competition may be even higher for effective keywords than a highly searched topic, as a result the business owner will need to focus much of their online marketing effort on advertising, social networking, bookmarking, and any of the variety of web 2.0 sites that allow users to publish their own content. This will be important as it will allow a low search volume business to actively getting exposure to more internet users as well as target their audience. In contrast a business owner who's industry has a large relevant search volume may get more return by focusing on traditional SEO. A large number of visits can be attained by optimizing for long-tail or "warm" key words as well as short or "hot" key words. This strategy will net many visits even if the search market is very competitive and more often than not long-tail key words have higher conversion rates than "hot" key words. By studying the relevant search volume for your business's niche you can also avoid making bad decisions with your marketing dollars. For example a business that sells a product online will have little benefit from paid advertising for a local search advertiser such as Local.com. Few people search for commodity or brand name products by location and any money spent to localize the searches will most likely be waisted; these searches are however a good candidate for traditional SEO. Benefiting from a potentially large search volume and the advertising from the product's manufacturer to promote internet searches, a highly optimized website can receive many visits and if designed with great usability in mind also receive many conversions! The moral of the story is to do your research and understand the potential benefits to your company of search marketing. A good understanding of the search volume, demographics and behavior of your industries internet users can mean the difference between dollars and effort well-spent or a lack of returns. If you would like a professional evaluation of your industry's search dynamics, and potential return feel free to contact IMAGE Web Design for a free consultation. NJP55U5SH6UU