Search engine marketing, also known as SEM, is the act of buying advertising online that gives you the ability to instantly increase your visibility in search engines when customers search for specific keywords.
Known as SEM, search engine marketing is the active process of creating an advertising campaign with search engines and targeting specific keywords that the customer may use when searching for the goods/services your business offers. Google, Bing, Yahoo, all the major search engines offer some form of SEM, usually in the form of what is known as Pay Per Click (PPC). PPC is simply an advertising campaign set up and managed by an individual to target specific keywords.
A PPC campaign is very easy to set up and manage. Simply create an account, with the search engine of your choice, then sign up for a new campaign. With Google, for example, it’s called AdWords. Within your campaign, you can select the specific keyword phrases you’d like to target, as well as the geographic region. You place a ‘bid’ amount for these keywords. When a customer, who meets your search criteria, receives the displayed results, they can choose to click on your ad or not. When your ad appears, that’s called an impression. If someone clicks your ad, your bid amount will be deducted from your account.
For example, if you choose to target the keyword ‘search engine optimization’ and offer $0.50 per click, then every time your ad appears and a customer ‘clicks’, they will be directed to the website or web page you have determined and your account will be charged the amount of your bid.
You can also set a daily budget. When your ‘clicks’ reach this limit, your ads will no longer be displayed. You can also control the specific days and times your ads will appear. You have full control over the criteria used to target your customers. SEM is a great way to quickly get your name out there and drive traffic to your website.
I’ll use the “fish food” example one more time. If your business wants to sell fish feed online, potential customers need to be able to find your website. If they find your site, they can buy your company’s fish feed. If you have a properly set up and managed PPC campaign, customers will be shown a top link to your website when they search for “fish food”. If the customer chooses to click on the link to your site, they are billed a predetermined amount (often this amount is measured in cents, not dollars). You have now been charged a fee to bring this customer to your site. When they come to your site and find it to their liking, they can buy your gourmet fish food and not the other fish food your competition offers.
The PPC campaign can be set up to only reach customers in your local area, nationwide, or even worldwide, depending on which service area you want. The key to a successful PPC campaign is knowing which keywords to target to drive qualified customers to your site. If your keywords are too generic, you will get traffic, but it may not be quality traffic. The ideal customer is one who is ready, willing and able to make a purchase. The way a customer searches can determine some of these factors.
There are other spaces like Facebook, for example, where companies can also advertise. Find the sites your customers visit and get in front of them. That easy!
Be sure to read my other articles on SEO, video optimization, web presence, and SEO vs. SEM. You are also welcome to visit my website for more information. Thank you for reading!