Search engine marketing (SEM) refers to paid advertising campaigns on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. One of the main services that I offer my clients is Search Engine Marketing because it is the best way to reach potential customers. There are not many advertising channels that allow you to reach people as they are actively searching for something. SEM helps businesses promote their products and services to people actively searching for them online. In this complete guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about SEM.
What is SEM?
SEM stands for search engine marketing. It involves creating and optimizing paid ads on search engine results pages (SERPs). The ads target keywords that potential customers search for. When searchers click on an SEM ad, they go to a landing page or website tailored to that keyword.
Search Engine Marketing Video Overview
Why Should Businesses Use SEM?
There are a lot of reasons that businesses should use search engine marketing. First and foremost, it’s difficult to put your advertisements in front of ready-to-buy customers. Search engines allow you to target people based on their keywords. If you sell leather sofas, you can bid on the keyword ‘leather sofas’ and send targeted prospects to your products.
Drive Targeted Traffic To Your Landing Pages
SEM ads show when people search for your keywords, allowing you to reach those actively looking for your products/services. You can send people to landing pages that offer a solution based on their search terms. It’s perfect when people are looking for something specific. For example, if I search for accounting software for home use, I can find the best accounting software for me.
Increase Brand awareness
SEM ads can also boost visibility and get your brand in front of more searchers. You can even bid on your competitor’s keywords and get your ads displayed. For example, Monday.com has an ad when you search for ‘Asana’, which is one of their competitors.
Flexible Options For Different Types of Businesses
You can adjust SEM campaigns to meet your business goals. You can just your targeting, ads, and keywords so you send the best traffic to your landing pages.
SEM Campaigns are Measurable
You can track SEM performance in detail, including impressions, clicks, costs, conversions, and conversion rate. Between Google Ads reporting and Google Analytics 4, you can get all the details you need about your campaign.
Ecommerce Websites Can Use Search and Shopping Ads
Shopping ads are another component of Search Engine Marketing campaigns. Ecommerce website can use their product feed to target their product listing ads. In the example below, you can see the On Running company is running a Google Search Ad and a Google Shopping Ad.
4 Main Components of an SEM Campaign
1. Keywords and Targeting
Keywords are the search terms and queries you want your ads to show up for. Research keywords using tools like Google Keyword Planner. You can also incorporate audience targeting within a search engine marketing campaign. For example, you can bid higher on people who have visited your website. Your keyword research is a vital part of a successful ads campaign. You can watch my Google Keyword Planner Tutorial below.
Google Keyword Planner Tutorial
2. Ad groups
Ad groups allow you to organize your SEM campaigns into different themes. For example, if you have landing pages for leather sofas, modern sofas, and luxury sofas, you can create an ad group for each landing page. Then, you can target relevant keywords in your ad groups and use relevant ads to give your potential customers a great user experience.
I go into more detail about creating organized ad groups below:
3. Ads
Your ads are what searchers see in the SERPs, so they need to capture attention and interest. Write benefit-focused headlines and descriptions highlighting what makes your offering valuable. Use ad assets (extensions) like callouts and sitelinks to create larger ads that offer more information. Ensure your ads speak directly to the searcher’s intent based on your keywords.
You can watch my video below to learn how to improve your ad copy:
4. Landing pages
The landing page is one of the most important elements of SEM. Each ad group should send traffic to a landing page that aligns closely with the offer in your ad copy. The page should deliver on the promise of your ads. Make sure the landing page content directly relates to the keywords for that ad group. Use clear headlines, subheaders, bullets, and calls to action. Having dedicated, tailored landing pages leads to higher conversion rates.
For example, Geico uses a simple landing page so they can learn their customer’s zip code and the services they need. They have had a similar landing page for years.
How Does SEM Work?
Every Search Engine Marketing campaign is going to be different in terms of goals, targeting, ads, and landing pages. However, each of the processes below will be involved when you create a campaign. I can’t stress enough how important it is to test your targeting, your ads, and your landing pages. Then, use all of your testing to continuously optimize your campaign. That’s the only way to increase your ROAS.
- Keyword Research – Do keyword research to find terms people search when looking for your offerings.
- Campaign Creation – Create your SEM campaign so you can bid on your targeted keywords.
- Ad Creation – Create highly targeted text ads and landing pages for those keywords.
- Keyword Bidding – Bid on keywords to get your ads to show up in search results.
- Landing Pages – When searchers click your ad, they go to your landing page to learn more or make a purchase.
- Advertisers Pay For Each Click – Pay the search engine only when people click your ad, not when it’s shown.
- Track Ad Performance and Optimize – clicks, costs, conversions – then optimize the campaign.
Google Ads Tutorial 2023
If you want to learn how to create an actual SEM campaign, watch my Google Ads tutorial below. I will give you all the information you need starting with conversion tracking, how to find keywords, how to bid on keywords, bidding strategies, ad creation, landing pages, and how to drive conversions.
You can watch the video below and learn how to create your first Google Ads campaign.
SEM vs. SEO
SEM focuses on paid search ads while SEO covers organic optimization to rank highly in search for free. Effective digital marketing strategies utilize both SEM and SEO.
SEM offers fast results but requires an advertising budget. SEO takes more time but generates organic traffic. SEM and SEO complement each other.
5 SEM Best Practices
I tried to give you the most important aspects of your Search Engine Marketing campaign below. The 5 things that I generally focus on when I am working with a new client.
1. Do thorough Keyword Research
Take the time to research and identify keywords and phrases that your target audience is searching for. Prioritize keywords that relate closely to your products, have decent search volume, and low competition. This ensures your ads are shown for the most relevant searches.
2. Create Tightly Themed Ad Groups
Group similar keywords and products/services into ad groups that share a tight theme. This allows you to tailor ads and landing pages more precisely to each theme. For example, “running shoes for women” and “running shoes for men” should go in separate ad groups.
3. Write Compelling, Benefits-Focused Ads
Your ad copy should highlight the key benefits of your offering and speak directly to the search intent. Focus on what the searcher will get from your product/service rather than just a description. Dynamic ads with emotional messaging often perform better.
4. Design Optimized Landing Pages
Each ad group’s landing page should match the ad copy and keywords for the best user experience. Include relevant headlines, subheaders, images, and clear calls to action. Don’t just send traffic to your generic home page.
5. Start with Small Budgets
When first starting SEM, allocate modest daily/monthly budgets for each campaign. Monitor performance closely and scale up budgets for campaigns that are successful. This minimizes risk as you gain experience.
Search Engine Marketing YouTube Playlist
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Conclusion
Search engine marketing can play a pivotal role in helping businesses reach potential customers. By following SEM best practices – conducting thorough keyword research, creating tightly themed ad groups and landing pages, writing compelling ads, and continuously optimizing campaigns – companies can drive more qualified traffic to their site and boost conversions. Implementing an effective SEM strategy takes dedication and effort, but the long-term rewards of increased brand visibility and revenue make it a smart investment.
