Anyone who maintains a web presence knows that digital marketing can come in all shapes and sizes. It’s not always easy, but site owners must endeavor to find the digital marketing plan that fits their business model. Many of today’s digital marketing strategies are cost effective and highly efficient, if worked properly.
What Is Search Engine Marketing?
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is one of the many forms of digital marketing that site owners and marketers use today. SEM encompasses the promotion of online businesses through websites and methods to increase the site’s visibility. SEM is the umbrella over search engine optimization and pay-per-click.
The Importance of SEM
SEM is important in increasing a company’s reach. Millions of consumers shop for online products. Advertisers, through PPC, only pay for those consumer impressions that result in visits to their site. Overall, this is a highly efficient way for companies to spend their dollars on marketing efforts. These visits also tend to improve a website’s ranking in search results. Since consumers are already in the state of mind to receive a product or service, it makes it easy for marketers to create effective branding messages.
Search engine marketing ensures that marketers can reach customers at exactly the right time. When a consumer clicks on an ad, they’re searching for new information. Search engine marketing can also be non-intrusive. There are some forms of digital marketing that can interrupt consumer tasks. Marketers enjoy the immediate results of SEM as well, which allows for analysis that marketers can use to find creative ways to drive traffic to their website.
How the SEM Marketing Process Works
Most people are aware that search engines employ sophisticated algorithms to ensure that users receive the most useful and relevant search results. With paid search, an advertiser’s ad will appear on the right side of the page. Some will also appear at the top. These positions allow for better visibility than an organic search result might. Company ads match the keywords that people use to query a search. From the marketer’s perspective, this is how SEM works:
- Marketers set up a network and their campaign follows. Marketers select the keywords they want. These keywords relate to their website’s products or services.
- Marketers then select a location where they want their ads to display. The ad is text-based and will display in search results.
- Marketers also bid on the price they’re willing to pay for the cost of each consumer click.
It’s a challenging task, but those marketers who can make it onto the first page of Google search results benefit the most. They can count on gaining a much higher reach than their competitors. Traffic equates to conversions. SEM marketing does involve a substantial investment of time and effort in many cases, with the need to wait to see results.
A/B testing can also complement your SEM efforts. If you’re running a paid-search program, you’re already making an investment in the hopes of bringing traffic to your website. A/B testing can help marketers optimize traffic for conversion. It can also help them spend in an efficient manner.
Peel Back the Layers
You can initially choose to use broad match keywords. It’s okay to target as many customers as you can when first placing a premium ad on Google. Use research and analysis to choose them. As you do this, remember the following:
- Creating quality ad content is also a good search engine marketing strategy. Content marketing is still one of the best tools to generate traffic, leads, and sales. Both small and medium business owners benefit from high-quality content. It’s the content that can help brands to stand out from their competition. Content is the tool that can help cement brand loyalty for long periods of time. If your team doesn’t have the knowledge or time, then hire a digital marketing agency that can handle the workload.
- Never sacrifice content readability for what you think might be a more attractive ad design. Readability issues can cause a 20% drop or more in lead generation and user reader comprehension. Use fonts and colors that contrast to guide readers effortlessly through your content.
- Your choice of where to do SEM marketing matters as well. Yandex of Russia and Baidu of China are not search engines and countries where Google dominates. Consider optimizing your Google ads for search, and consider ranking for alternative search engines later.
- Utilize artificial intelligence for better results. Google AdWords works through artificial intelligence. Google utilizes an algorithm called Albert and its mission is to oversee auctions. AI like these allow marketers to minimize cost-per-click while maximizing Google traffic.
- Content remarketing allows you to track website visitors who have yet to make a transaction. There will always be users who see your ad and ignore it. If you remarket your content, you may give yourself a second chance to place your brand in front of those people. Remarketing is a reminder for customers to complete an action. It also allows you to remain in contact with them.
- You can also serve your customers through price. Fewer marketers than you would think actually pay attention to the psychological factors that inspire people to make a purchase. Price your products in a way that inspires them to make more transactions.
- Review your search engine marketing strategies on a regular basis. They must change continually because Google’s algorithm does. Google is on a mission to stop anyone from gaming the system. You’ll need to continually review your SEM and SEO strategies to ensure that you’re not wasting money or losing opportunities. Eliminate those SEM marketing campaigns that prove to be unproductive.
Scan the Competitive Landscape with an Eagle’s Eye
Keep a close eye on your competition. Make sure your website’s SEO is on par. Remember, search engine marketing has elements of both SEO and PPC. The best results can occur when you effectively utilize both approaches. Perform a site audit and make sure it’s optimized in every way. Go back and determine what you can add.
Videos and images can boost and refresh your content. Add links to relevant website pages and tackle your backlink campaigns with renewed passion.
When the going gets tough, reach out to those digital marketing professionals who can help you grow your business and stay on top of every digital marketing trend that is relevant.
Advanced Digital Media Services, one of the best search engine marketing agencies, can provide the assistance you need to take your business to its next level of success!
