Search engine marketing, or SEM, is a premier digital marketing strategy used to increase site visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs).
While search engine optimization (SEO) is organic, search engine marketing is not. It is alternatively called paid search or pay-per-click (PPC). With more users conducting online research and purchasing, search engine marketing has become vital.
Most new website visitors arrive via a search engine, so optimizing your SEM efforts for better generation leads and web conversions is crucial.
SEM is an efficient way of doing promotions because advertisers only pay for impressions that result in traffic. Moreover, each visitor you draw to your site improves the website’s organic search rankings.
Unlike visitors on other sites who are not actively seeking something, clients entering search queries to find commercial information are primed to buy.
In addition, customers are most responsive to new information while they are searching. Unlike most digital advertising, PPC advertising is non-intrusive. That’s why SEM yields quick results. It is definitely the quickest way to build website traffic.
What Are the Elements of an SEM?
Search engines utilize complex algorithms to deliver the most relevant results, considering the location and other data. Here are key concepts you need to know so you can run SEM successfully:
- Keywords: These are words or phrases entered into search engines that trigger an ad or search result. They don’t have to be distinct. While starting a campaign in Google Ads, you’ll need to indicate the degree of similarity between your keywords and the phrases people use when searching.
- Concordance: Ads will show when users search for synonyms or words connected to the term. If you select a precise match, your ad will only appear when a user types in a specific term.
- Text Ad: The most popular type of ad presented in search engines, and usually featuring a title, a changeable URL, and a description.
- Ad Group: A group of ads using the same keywords. This lets you know which ones are the most popular.
- Campaign: Promotions run in Google Ads serve as an “umbrella” for numerous ad groups with similar goals.
- Landing Page: This page on your website is where users are directed after clicking on an advertisement.
- Impressions: This is the actual count of when an ad is shown and clicked. It includes the Clickthrough Rate or CTR (the number of clicks is the number of times an ad has been clicked) and the cost-per-click or CPC (cost for every click users make to your site using keywords in your PPC campaign).
What Does SEM Mean to Your Business?
SEM should be a critical ingredient of your digital marketing campaign. Here are ways that Search Engine Marketing helps you improve your business:
1. Produces Quality Traffic
Organic traffic production takes time and effort, but it pays off in the long run. Through search engine marketing, you can quickly attract customers to your website. This lets you track user behavior and know the kind and amount of users interested in what you have to offer.
2. Boosts Visibility
Even if a visitor does not click the first time, appearing towards the top of Google and other search engine results will link your brand to your audience’s demand. This increases the likelihood of conversions.
This is the ultimate goal of Google Adwords and other search engine marketing tools. To do so, create effective landing pages that lead visitors along the conversion funnel.
3. Saves You Money
One of SEM’s most significant benefits is affordability. If your brand is growing, you may increase the investment and complexity of your commercials to retain momentum. Also, you know your money is being appropriately spent because you only pay if you receive results (clicks).
4. Results are Measurable
Google Ads, for example, provides extensive campaign data and keeps you informed at all times. This makes it easy to change the trajectory of your campaigns and improve results.
Conclusion
The competitive environment in digital marketing is tighter than ever, so you need to stay on your feet to rank higher than your competitors. SEM can help firms achieve their goals quickly and easily. To get the most out of it, you need experts who know how to locate businesses in Google.
At NESMA Group, we are a search engine marketing agency that aims to help you grow your online presence and get more customers with online advertising. Contact us today, and we’ll help you innovate your marketing efforts!