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WHAT IS SEM? A COMPLETE GUIDE TO SEARCH
ENGINE MARKETING
Search engine marketing can certainly take a business to peak success, only if done properly. It is
essential to make a top-notch search engine marketing strategy to compete with other businesses.
According to research, almost 35% of users searching for a particular keyword visit the website ranking
on top, even if it is an ad.
An ad appears on different search queries mainly because of SEM. So, let us learn about search engine
marketing more precisely.
WHAT IS SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING?
Suppose a person types a simple search query “Content Writers”. Here is what Google shows.
Freelancer.com has a winning strategy here as their page ranks on top for the search query of “Content
Writers”. The ad from one of the best freelance marketplaces is a clear example of how SEM works.
People looking to hire content writers may land on their page mainly because of this paid advertising.
Considering this example and applying it to other search engines as well, it could be concluded that:
“Search engine marketing is a paid marketing strategy that ranks an ad/landing page/listing on top of
search engines for any particular query. SEM may also include SEO, which uses different techniques to
increase search engine rankings for better PPC listings”.
SEM works for every platform where a person can search with the intent to research or purchase. It could
be Google, Amazon, Bing, etc.
Two Divisions of SEM
Search Engine Marketing can be categorized into two major parts. A business can involve themselves in
any one or both of them for better results.
1. SEO
2. PPC
Source: Medium.com
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEO & PPC
When we talk about SEO and PPC, there has always been much confusion among beginner marketers.
But when they get in the field, they find it rather easy to understand. Let us wrap up in two sentences.
PPC: This is a paid strategy to get top search rankings.
SEO: This comprises various organic strategies to get better search rankings.
Google search results consist of two sections. The upper section has the paid ads, while the lower ones
have search engine results ranking organically. SEO takes a lot of time, but the results generated by SEO
are long-term. On the other hand, PPC depends on the budget and will cost an amount whenever a visitor
clicks on the search result.
Source: 99signals.com
HOW TO DO SEARCH ENGINE MARKETING?
Search engine marketing can rather be easy to learn as compared to other branches of digital marketing. A
good guide with some practice will help you become a quality search engine marketer. Our fundamentals
of search engine marketing will help an individual in this regard.
1. Conducting proper keyword research
Keyword research is the most important part of the marketing plan. Choosing random keywords will
never bring results to a business. The marketer should analyze all the aspects of a particular keyword.
Professional marketers use different tools like Keyword Planner, Uber suggest, Ahrefs, SEMrush, etc, to
find the best keyword. It is important to find the CPC, Keyword difficulty, SERP, and search volume for
the keyword before it is finalized.
Source: Wix.com
2. Determining the target audience
Iranians will not see ads of Freelancer.com even when they search for the same search query. In fact,
Freelancer.com will not be running ads in any country they do not operate. Keeping it more precise, it is
the job of the search engine marketers at freelancer.com to show relevant ads to relevant people.
A person can never ignore the significance of determining the right audience to show ads. Also, the
budget estimation depends largely on the audience.
3. Understanding Ad Auction
Marketers need to understand the ad auction ultimately for better results. An ad can easily rank on top
with low budgets if the marketers utilize the technique properly.
The quality score of the ad and the budget combined sets the price for the CPC. Obviously, the higher the
CPC, the higher the rank. Quality scores will depend mainly on the content, relevancy, conversions, and
bounce time.
Source: wordstream.com
4. Creating an ad/landing Page
An ad is a winning factor in this game. It decides whether the visitor will purchase the product/service or
not. From copy to designs, professional marketers pay special attention to every inch of it.
In the case of a landing page, there are multiple necessary factors to consider. As it is a long-form of
advertising tactic, it must be paid more attention. The load time, design, CTA, and content should be
excellent to make the user purchase.
5. Keep testing & iterating
Testing and revising are important for PPC. Marketers must be active and alert when the campaign is
running. It is essential to keep in mind that the platform will be charging per click according to the CPC.
So, there is no point in bringing a prospect on a particular ad and making them leave just because of poor
content.
To increase conversions, ads should be analyzed continuously, and changes must be made if required.
Marketers need to encounter every problem quickly and effectively.
HOW TO DO SEM EFFECTIVELY?
Marketers must consider many factors before creating an SEM strategy. SEM has the capability of
bringing lots of leads to a struggling business. But a professional must keep some of the essentials in
mind for better results.
Here is a list of some essentials for effective SEM.
Creating compelling copy
Set your budget according to the affordable resources
Spy on your competitors
Use similar audience feature for better results
Measure results
Remain active when the campaign is live
Personalize the marketing strategy
Keep local searches in mind
ENDING WORD
Many businesses pay special attention to search engine marketing mainly because they know its worth.
SEM certainly has the capabilities of generating a high ROI with an extremely low upfront cost.
Moreover, it does not require a lot of time. A business can start generating profits by PPC even if it has
been live for few minutes.
In recent times, SEM has certainly become one of the essentials of digital marketing. The marketing
technique is now used on various search engines other than Google. While it seems to be simple, creating
an effective and result-driven strategy may be challenging. Due to this reason, businesses hire
professionals for results that matter the most.
You might be an asset in today’s world if you specialize in this field. Likewise, a business might be on
top of its potential if it finds the right marketer.
