As anyone would tell you, competition is good for business.

It’s good for the consumer; it’s good for the retailer. Industry throughout the ages has shown this to be true. (Indeed, can you think of a word in business that is more unappealing, more reviled than “monopoly?”)

When it comes to the spirit of fair and healthy competition, the Internet is no different than any other business realm. Intense competition, in fact, has helped fuel the Internet’s explosive growth.

Take even the larger online entities -- search engines like Google, retailers like Amazon -- they have fierce competition from companies both big and small.

Don’t think so? Just ask the brass at Google or Amazon.

They may have better brand awareness these days than the competition, but you can bet that somewhere, at any given time (like right now), there are executives from Google and Amazon lying in bed awake, staring at the ceiling, trying to figure out ways to stay a step ahead of the competition.

Given this healthy competitive environment, you should never jump at the first online advertising opportunity you happen upon.

Why not?

Because when it comes to Internet marketing, and especially a specialized sector, like PPC for small business -- it’s a buyer’s market.

Who do you think of when you think PPC?

Scoping out the competition is crucial in pay-per-click advertising, especially for small business. Yet, you’d be surprised at how few people take advantage of the many ways to really grow a business in this rich, competitive soil that is the Internet.

Indeed, if you had a big pay-per-click advertising budget, and you could blow it on any search engine at all, which search engine would you choose?

That’s right. Like a billion other people, you’d choose Google.

That quick decision, however, only goes to show that you haven’t done your homework.

Google is not the only game in town. Not by a long shot.

Yahoo and MSN, in fact, along with Google, complete the trinity of what has become known as the 1st Tier Search Engines (SEs).

But then, the so-called second tier ain’t too shabby, either, beginning with the likes of SE big shots like Alta Vista, AOL NetFind and Ask.

That’s five other search engine options right there, all of which offer pay-per-click advertising programs on par with Google, and all of which are more than capable of bringing you as many customers as Google. As many potential customers, really, as you can handle. Provided, of course, that you can pay for it.

The Rules of the Game are the Same

The basic rules, the usual strategies, they are the same online as they are in any business arena.

Weigh your options. Think before you leap. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Do some research.

These are basic businesses principles. Who wouldn’t exercise them?

Especially research; this is probably the most import.

You’d be surprised at how even a small amount of research can yield previously unseen riches. Those hidden nuggets of business knowledge that can actually sway your advertising decisions and build to much larger pieces.

Even fast, simple things like skimming articles from newspapers and other media; looking up a few SE Top Ten lists; reading about how the various search engines measure up against each other, especially when it comes to small business PPC... It’s all worth doing.

In fact, if you operate a small business and you plan to engage in pay-per-click advertising, the first thing you should ask yourself, in this day and age, is this: “Okay, other than Google, what are my options?”

Don’t believe me? Try it. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the quality -- and quantity -- of PPC advertising that’s out there.