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Have you ever searched for a product online and several business pages popped up at the top of the results page? That is the power of search engine marketing (SEM). It is a form of marketing that allows brands to increase their online visibility by ensuring they rank higher amid search engine traffic. Seeing as 87% of mobile phone owners use search engines at least once a day, SEM has become essential to every brand’s visibility and success.
In this article, we will explore how SEM works, its benefits and downsides, and some of the top SEM tools you can use to actualize your marketing dreams. But before all that, we need to point out an important distinction.
SEM vs. SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is often confused with SEM as they both share one important similarity⏤search engines. However, SEM is a wider form of marketing that includes SEO and pay-per-click (PPC) marketing. Essentially, SEM incorporates the powers of SEO and PPC to help you achieve maximum visibility through organic and paid content.
SEO focuses exclusively on structuring your content in such a way that it organically ranks higher on search engine result pages (SERPs). This structuring can be in the form of using relevant keywords, adding external links, and just generally having a “healthy” website. SEO is often referred to as free website traffic because you are increasing your visibility without having to pay for ads. However, it can be time-consuming and will always rank below paid searches.
SEM is largely focused on paid advertising that helps you appear at the very top of SERPs. It is also heavily dependent on keyword analysis, which we will explain in detail shortly.
Despite the differences between these two concepts, they are similar because they both have the goal of making your website easily discoverable on SERPs. They also both rely on using appropriate keywords.
SEM and SEO rely on each other to create the best marketing strategy, and focusing on only one may not give you the best results. Paid ads will get you to the top of the SERPs, but well-optimized content will keep you there organically.
How Does SEM Work?
Like we said earlier, SEM relies heavily on keyword analysis. This is because search engines like Google and Bing generate results based on the keywords a user searches. When a user types in a keyword or a string of keywords, the results have to match the keywords. The pages with the most relevant results appear at the top of the SERP, making them the most likely results for the user to click.
Here are the steps involved in successfully utilizing SEM:
1. Keyword Research
Detailed keyword research is key to a successful SEM strategy. It starts with determining what your potential audience is searching for, and why. Appropriate keywords should also extend to words that are related and relevant to your business. You can use a keyword tool to make things easier.
When conducting keyword research, you should not focus only on related keywords but also on negative keywords. Negative keywords are closely related to your intended keyword, but differ in search intent. For example, terms like ‘wine glasses’ are negative keywords if you’re a sunglasses vendor. Having your sunglasses show up in search results for wine glasses is unlikely to get you clicks from users searching for wine glasses. Factoring in user search intent is important when choosing keywords.
2. Keyword Cost
When you have identified your keywords, it is time to consider the cost of those keywords. If you are aiming for a popular or incredibly competitive keyword, you should be prepared for the accompanying expense.
Search engines allow you to buy ad space on their SERPs and these spaces are charged on a PPC basis. This means that you have to pay the search engine each time a user clicks on your ad. The upside to PPC marketing is that it is conversion based. You only pay for as many clicks as you get. If you don’t get any clicks, you don’t have to pay anything.
3. Targeting
With SEM, you can target a specific demographic by location, browsing habits, or even devices. You can maximize the benefits of SEM by basing your ads on your customers’ known browsing behaviors rather than by creating generic ads. Therefore, it’s important to know your audience before creating your ads.
4. Ad Creation
Every good search ad should have a catchy heading, a brief text description beneath the heading, and a landing page. The landing page is where your potential customers are directed after they click on your ad. Your landing page should be different from your homepage. You should also ensure that your landing page contains the keywords you are paying for and a clear call-to-action (CTA).
5. Ad Auction and Ranking
Most search engines require you to enter into an auction to place your ad. This is because not every ad will be displayed upon every single user query. Generally, whether or not your ad wins the auction is dependent on how much commercial intent it has, its relevance to the user’s search, and how much you are willing to pay per click.
However, different search engines have different ways of ranking ads. For example, Google Ads uses its Quality Score metric to evaluate and rank ads during the ad auction. If your ad meets the search engine’s criteria, it will rank high on the SERP.
Benefits of SEM
Now that you know the ins-and-outs of SEM, you are probably wondering how beneficial it really is. Here are some of the things you stand to gain when you invest in SEM:
1. High Brand Visibility
In over 60% of shopping occasions, shoppers go online first before considering physical stores. These numbers put into perspective how important SEM is in modern times. Appearing at the top of any search engine is a surefire way to increase your visibility. This remains true even if people do not click on your ad because they will gradually begin to associate your brand with the search terms that led them to see your ad.
2. Increased Conversion Rates
When users search for products or items, they are usually willing to purchase them. This is where SEM gives you an edge over other forms of marketing. Your ad will be placed right in front of the customer. This ease of access allows for higher conversion rates as the clicks on your website will likely translate to sales.
3. PPC Pricing System
SEM allows you to get value for your advertising budget. You only need to pay when users click on your ad, meaning you only spend money when you get what you want rather than paying a fixed price no matter the results. This also makes SEM an attractive marketing option for businesses at all levels, including small-scale businesses.
4. Targeted Advertising
You can tailor your business to your potential user’s needs with SEM. Because SEM depends on keywords, you can rest assured that your website is mainly attracting users interested in your business. It is a more efficient way to reach your desired audience when compared to other forms of marketing.
5. Measurable Results
Every search engine has its metrics for tracking your progress. For example, you can analyze your ad performance through the number of clicks, impressions, or conversions you get each month. This way, you can quickly and easily reallocate funds to the ads that are doing better than others.
6. Flexibility and Scalability
Your marketing strategy can remain flexible and adaptable with SEM. You can always swap stale keywords for active ones that can help you get the best bang for your buck. You can also rewrite your ads or restructure your content for optimal visibility. Furthermore, you can increase your budget as your conversion rates grow to boost your brand awareness to even higher levels.
7. Faster Results
Search engine marketing is potentially the fastest way to garner traffic on your website. The reason for this can be linked to the amount of people who use search engines daily. Unlike SEO which is reliant on slow and steady effort, SEM shoots you to the top almost immediately.
Drawbacks of SEM
Search engine marketing remains a fast yet accessible way to market your business. However, there are some downsides to it. When focusing on SEM, you may have to deal with:
1. Constant Competition
If you are not in a niche industry, you will likely compete for the top spot with several companies; some of which may be willing and able to pay more than you. This can quickly make bidding expensive and challenging. Despite the competition, combining SEO and SEM will still afford you a high level of visibility.
2. Increased Cost
Although payment is made only when users click on your ad, SEM costs can add up over time; especially when you get the level of visibility you want. However, getting more clicks will likely boost sales, and the profit you make should cover your marketing costs.
3. Increased Customer Awareness
Customers are becoming more suspicious of ads and targeted posts. Many people find them annoying. This often leads users to using ad blockers which can defeat the purpose of SEM. Nevertheless, SEM remains a great way to boost your brand awareness.
Despite the number of SEM drawbacks, its advantages exceed its flaws. The visibility it brings businesses is arguably unmatched, and the more visible a brand is, the more likely it is that people will support it.
Top 5 SEM Tools
If you have no idea where to start with SEM, do not despair. Here are the top five SEM tools that can ease you into the world of search engine visibility:
1. Semrush
This tool comprises several functions in one and is used by millions of digital marketers worldwide. It allows you to do keyword and competitor research, track your content and its growth, and can help you gather real-time data from your website or application. Semrush’s usefulness is not limited to SEM alone as it also helps you optimize your website according to the best SEO practices.
2. SpyFu
SpyFu allows you to spy on the keywords that your competition is buying. Being armed with this information will help you build your strategy and potentially surpass your competition. Its features help you understand the pros and cons of your chosen SEM strategy, which can help you improve. When compared to other SEM tools, it is more affordable and offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. Wordstream
Wordstream allows you to seamlessly integrate your account with multiple search engines. This level of integration makes it easier for you to track all your ads. It provides you with analytics and insights into your marketing performance. Its customizable dashboards also provide you with much-needed flexibility for your preferred SEM approach.
4. Optmyzr
This tool provides you with cool features like bid optimization, keyword research, insights into your PPC data, and the ability to integrate your Optmyzr account with several Google platforms like Gmail and Google Docs. You can also utilize the Enhanced Script feature. Enhanced Script allows you to create a script that automatically compiles the data from your campaigns into a spreadsheet, and emails it to your team every week.
5. Google Ads Keyword Planner
Google handles roughly 8.5 billion searches every day. This makes it the most sought-after search engine for SEM. Its free Keyword Planner makes your keyword search easier. But this is not all it has to offer, as you can use it to create an advertising plan. Google Ads Keyword Planner also enables you to budget for keyword bidding as it can suggest bid amounts for specific keywords. You can also use it to launch your SEM campaigns.
