---

This article is direct from Clickbanks new info for beginners which is word for word.  I hope it helps new people....it helped me for sure.

---

 Search Engine Marketing

Search engine marketing is comprised of two main techniques: search engine optimization (SEO) and pay per click advertising (PPC). Each has very different challenges and benefits.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is the practice of trying to get your website, blog, or other page (such as an article you’ve written for an article directory) ranked highly in search engines for a particular keyword or phrase. The ultimate goal is to drive free traffic to your website or promotion when someone searches on that keyword. SEO can generate an extremely good return for you, but often requires a significant investment of up-front time to learn good SEO techniques and apply these to your work. However, the long-term benefits of creating content that ranks well in search engines can be extraordinarily profitable.

Pros: Typically free; can drive huge amounts of traffic; has long-term returns
Cons: Steep learning curve; search engine positions change regularly, so results can be inconsistent; may take a long time before you see results, if at all; competitive

Pay per click advertising (PPC) is the practice of placing paid advertisements in search engine results for a particular keyword or phrase. You agree to pay a certain amount if someone searches on a keyword and clicks on your advertisement. Many very successful affiliates pay to advertise on the search engines, as the main benefit is highly-targeted traffic, but the downside is that it can cost a significant amount of money and requires a great deal of testing and experimentation to find profitable keywords, ad copy, etc. It can also be very competitive, so PPC can be a difficult and expensive tactic for affiliates who are just starting out.

Pros: Quick to get up and running; popular keywords can drive a great deal of traffic quickly; you can target highly relevant, well-qualified traffic
Cons: Can be extremely expensive; highly competitive; search engines (especially Google) have many rules about what affiliate promotions are acceptable; usually require a great deal of research, attention, and oversight, especially early on, to be profitable

These are just a few of the many ways you can effectively promote ClickBank products. ClickBank affiliates are constantly finding new and innovative ways to promote products and expand their reach. Hopefully this list will help get you started, but we’ve only scratched the surface. The best way to discover what will work for you and your niche is to get out there and start experimenting!