Search Engine Marketing is an effective way to improve the efficiency of the business in the competitive market. There are lots of businesses outside as competitors, so there is a need to adopt the latest technologies to promote the brand and reach the targeted consumers. It is becoming important to advertise online as well as offline because of the introduction of technologies.
An overview of search engine marketing, basics, differences between SEO and SEM, several strategies have been explained here.
Search Engine Marketing is a type of marketing a business or product with paid advertisements that appear on search engine page results (SEPR). Users of search engines such as Google or Bing might enter when looking for certain services or products, this give the advertiser opportunity to showcase their advertisements along with the search results, advertisers has to bid for certain keyword to appear in the list. These ads are also known as pay-per-click ads. There are varieties of formats: product-listing ads (PLAs), small text based ads. Product-listing ads will provide visual, product based advertisements that consumers can understand easily at a glance, including price, pictures and reviews.
The greatest advantage of using Search Engine Marketing is, this will showcase the product to the motivated customers who is willing to buy the product. It will facilitate ads of the specific product customers are looking for when they are looking for it. This is a great opportunity for sellers. Unlike other marketing techniques, this is one of the advantages of search engine marketing. The picture below shows an illustration of search engine marketing. The word highlighted (Ads) is the result of search engine marketing.
SEO vs. SEM
Differences between SEO and SEM.
Search engine marketing (SEM) is a type of paid advertising in which businesses will pay to put their ads in the search results. Search engine optimization is different, it is not paid: the business doesn’t have to pay search engines for traffic and clicks instead they will earn a spot in the search engine results according to the relevant contents for keyword search.
SEM and SEO are fundamentals of online marketing strategy. Search engine marketing is a cost-effective way to those businesses that are at the bottom of the search results to increase conversions and traffic meanwhile search engine optimization can drive traffic at the top search results.
How SEM works
In paid advertising, sponsored ads will be at the top of the results to provide more visibility and become prominent than organic search results. In search engine results there will advertisements of business that come along with results. These ads will be in a prominent location of the page such as in the top or side along with search results. Paid listings will be highly relevant to the search, so that the user most-likely click on them.
SEM is self-serve operations. Marketers just have to select a search engine, the campaign can be set up in a short period of time.
From the marketer’s perspective, they have to ensure the following steps has been fulfilled to make the campaign successful.
- Select a geographic location for the ad to be displayed within;
- Conduct keyword research and select a set of keywords related to their website or product;
- Bid on a price they are willing to pay for each click on their ad;
- Create a text-based ad to display in the search results.
Importance of keyword
Keywords are the fundamentals of search engine marketing. Search engine users will enter the keyword to find the products or services they are looking for, as per that keyword the advertisement will show up.
SEM keyword research
Keyword research has to be done before starting search engine marketing campaigns. First of all relevant keywords relevant to the business has to be discovered. These keywords must be those words consumers were most likely to put in the search engine when searching for services and products. Through keyword research, negative keywords can also be found- it has to exclude from the campaign. Negative keywords are not really words with negative connotations but those who are irrelevant that just create traffic not conversions. Some of the words can be considered as high commercial intent, it indicates that the users has a high intention to buy something. Examples include
- Discount(s)
- Buy
- Deal
- Free shipping
CONCLUSION
Search engine marketing is one of the top most marketing methods that have to be adopted by the businesses to stay top in the competitors list. Most of the businesses already established these types of techniques as part of their strategy. It is extremely powerful and unique because it will help the businesses to put where it is more visible.
Companies that provide and services can merge SEO and SEM together, so that effective strategy can be established, thereby increasing traffic and conversions.