What is Search Engine Marketing (SEM)?

In today’s world one of the first places consumers look for a product or service is on the internet through a Search Engine such as Google, Yahoo, or Bing.

That’s why being the first thing they see when they search for a business like yours is so important!

What is Search Engine Marketing?

One way to reach that coveted number one rank on Google is through the use of Search Engine Marketing, which entails using pay-per-click ads to boost your company’s webpage to the top spot. The wonderful thing about using SEM is that your company is only charged when a customer actually clicks on your link, so you are only paying for results!

Getting Started with SEM

SEM uses keywords to ensure that your listing only shows to those customers who are interested in your product. It is very important to identify which keywords customers use to search for a business such as yours, because they are the foundation of how SEM works!

So, if your company is a local roofing company and you identify some of your most effective keywords as your city, county, and services, you would be sure to reach those customers who are local and on the market for a new roof!

How do I Identify Keywords?

One way to identify useful keywords is to look at the Related Search column at the bottom of any Google Search. This is where Google lists phrases commonly searched that relate to what you’ve searched. So, by searching yourself you can look at this Related Searches column to identify keywords that will be useful for your SEM strategy!

There are also programs online to aid you in your search for keywords, some that are even free!

Keywords that indicate a strong intention of buying a product or service are known as high commercial intent keywords. They are keywords such as:

• Buy
• Discount(s)
• Deal(s)
• Coupon(s)
• Free Shipping

Including these keywords in your campaign is useful in finding customers who are more likely to purchase your product!

Once you have identified your most effective keywords, you will then begin the process of entering your company into the Search Engine Marketing Ad Auction.

Search Engine Ad Auction?

The Search Engine Ad Auction is the process Google uses to determine which listings are going to appear first for their search engine results.

Google evaluates companies based off the Quality Score of their ads and also their maximum bid. The maximum bid is the amount you have set as the most you will pay for each click to your website through your ad. Your Quality Score is based off of many factors including:

• Your click-through rate (CTR)
• The relevance of each keyword to its ad group
• Landing page quality and relevance
• The relevance of your ad text
• Your historical Google Ads account performance

One of the best ways to increase your Google Ads Quality is through optimizing the keywords you use and effectively organizing them into groups!

Need Help?

Still unsure where to begin to effectively use SEM? Allow us to help. Smart Marketing Ad Agency has been helping businesses create effective marketing plans since 2010!