Can paid search backfire?

Companies that are solely reliant on paid links are in for a surprise as search engine algorithms continue to change, according to Mark Jackson from Search Engine Watch.

Jackson says that natural links have more long-term value compared to paid links. And, with Google’s terms of service, paid links can only take a link so far. The number 1 search engine says that unfairly optimized links will be removed from the company’s results. That’s why search engine optimization (SEO) campaigns, despite being more tedious, are still the best online marketing tools.

To build natural links, Jackson suggests the use of social media networks. However, he emphasizes that the content must be optimized in order for it to have a chance at drawing sufficient traffic numbers.

Another thing to watch out for when using social media networks is spyware, malware, and spammers.

While paid search is effective, its long term durability in the online market has not been proven. The best advice for any start-up online business is to start a solid SEO campaign. After that, the rest will follow.