Google Organic v Google AdWords

Virtually everyday our Support Team is asked "How do I get my website onto the first page of Google?" Well the first thing to understand is that there are two ways to appear in this space; Google organic and Google AdWords.

Google Organic are the results that Google returns based on what it deems the most relevant websites for a given search term. There are 10 organic returns on each page of a search return and they appear on the left hand side of the page, possibly underneath a ‘Sponsored Links' box. For your website to appear in this space you will first have to be indexed by Google. You can submit your website to Google via the Submit your site page or wait for Google to follow a link to your website from an already indexed website. All new customers of The Web Showroom will have had their website submitted to Google for inclusion in this area. The way Google ranks websites on a given search term is a complex mystery and relates to an algorithm that Google is constantly adapting to keep up with changes in internet technology. You should be patient as it can take weeks before your website is listed in Google and months before it starts to appear on specific keywords. This newsletter regularly covers techniques that you can do to improve your rankings in this space.

The second and less mystifying way to appear on the first page of Google is via the pay-per click (PPC) program called Google AdWords. This is an advertising program that Google operates whereby advertisers are able to pay to have small ads relating to their website appear on certain search queries. These ads appear in a small box above the organic listings and also down the right hand side of a Google results page. The way websites are ranked in this space is based on an algorithm of how much an advertiser is willing to pay per click and how often Google users actually click on an advertisers ad. This is Google's way of balancing the amount an advertiser is willing to pay, but also ensuring that the ads are relevant to a searcher's experience.