Staying Ahead of the Competition with Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
If you’ve been doing your digital marketing research, you’ve probably come across the terms SEO and SEM quite a bit. That’s because these methods have become key to growing your business’ online visibility.
But what’s the difference? The truth is that while you can technically have one without the other, it is strongly advised not to separate the two. Search Engine Marketing is made up of effective strategies that keep you ahead of the competition.
What is SEM?
In short, Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is an approach that increases your website’s visibility on search engines through advanced marketing tactics.
But what exactly are they and how do they work? Below are the Search Engine Marketing strategies that will rank your business to the top:
SEM Components and Strategies
- SEO. Not to be confused with SEM, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. This practice focuses on growing organic search engine results (vs. paid ads), improving the quality of your web traffic through optimized content.
What You Gain: When done right, SEO will increase your overall leads and sales.
- PPC. An effective shortcut to being at the top of page one of Google. PPC stands for Pay Per Click, and means just that—advertisers are only charged if a user clicks on their ad.
What You Gain: PPC does wonders for direct consumer targeting.
- Web Analytics. You’ll know where your traffic is coming from and be able to accurately measure your return on investment.
What You Gain: This is the best way to gain insight into your website.
- Local Search Marketing. Also known as local SEO, this geographically based tactic involves integrating keywords into your content that are relevant to your business’ location and regions where your services are offered.
What You Gain: It ensures your business will be found locally by putting it on the map.
Benefits of SEM
Research shows that 90% of online searches are conducted by people who are at the end of the buying cycle. That means that you have a high chance of converting your site visitors into buyers, so do your best to make it easy for them.
How? By making your services easy to find.
To sum up, Search Engine Marketing…
- shapes your brand identity
- promotes your brand visibility
- is extremely cost-effective (you choose your own budget)
- allows you to understand your web traffic
- targets the audience you want
Ads and key phrases are more powerful than ever, and with web analytics, it’s never been simpler to track your audience’s response time; SEM grants you access to the measurable data you need to either:
- adjust your campaign if the keywords aren’t bringing in the success you hoped
- boost campaigns that are performing well
It’s hard to deny the benefits of SEM. If you want to learn more about how to boost your business’ visibility, get in touch with the experts at BlueHat Marketing. We’ll provide you with a free analysis so you know where your website stands.
