The name is practically a verb. It's become as synonymous to "search" as Kleenex is to tissue. And for good reason. Over 70% of searches on the Internet are performed using Google and its network. But Google is much more than search. Google can help you build traffic, true, but it can also help you monitor the traffic that comes to your website.
 
“Google serves users in several ways,” said Jason Otis, VP of Marketing and Business Development of Axletree Media.  “First, there’s the search engine itself.  The goal for any website is to be high in search rankings, and when you’re talking about billions of searches conducted each month, you can see that you’ve got to have a strategy to get noticed.”
 
The best way to do that, Otis said, is through Search Engine Optimization.
 
“This is the process of researching and selecting keywords, then optimizing the site code for search engines,” Otis added. "Our content management system includes an SEO Manager which helps users enter words and phrases that can help identify their website to search engines."
 
More information about Search Engine Optimization.
 
Websites seeking more traffic may also benefit from pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.  This service offered by search engines – the Google version is called Adwords – displays a site link based on a paid fee scale, but only charges when someone actually clicks on the link. Success can be measured by how many visitors actually reach a destination page you define – for example, a confirmation page for an order or completed subscription.
 
More information about Google Adwords.
 
Yet another service, Google Analytics, provides a comprehensive means of tracking a site’s web traffic from all sources.  “This is a free, third-party statistics service that site administrators can use to gain vital feedback,” Otis said.  “You can discover a lot of things from the reports and graphs that help you understand your site’s strengths and weaknesses. Every website administrator should be using Google Analytics or similar measurement tool."
 
More information about Google Analytics.