There's been debate over the years as to whether or not search marketing should be a one-time purchase like a marketing campaign, or an ongoing expense like a public relations retainer. While there are good points being made on both sides, there's been a shift in the industry over the past few years toward viewing ongoing search marketing as a necessary part of a company's marketing campaign.

While good search marketing should put results in place that will last for some time, the reality of today's competitive search engine world is that things change. Algorithms change, rankings change, new competitors come into the marketplace...things change. Additionally, the expense of overhauling an entire site along with launch an effective link campaign are often overwhelming for a small (or even large) business. Thus, it's becoming more and more common for companies to view search marketing as an ongoing retainer-based part of their marketing campaigns. New content can be added, or optimized each month, allowing a site to build momentum over time, all while amortizing costs so that businesses can start to see a return on their investment while that investment is still taking place.

Get some insight on the issue from Scott Buresh in today's guest article: "Expert Search Engine Optimization: Is Ongoing Management Needed?."