What is Search Engine Marketing?

Search Engine Marketing – An Overview

Search engine marketing is the practice of marketing a business using paid advertisements that appear on search engine results pages (or SERPs ). Advertisers bid on keywords that users of services such as Google and Bing might enter when looking for certain products or services, which gives the advertiser the opportunity for their ads to appear alongside results for those search queries.

These ads, often known by the term pay-per-click ads, come in a variety of formats. Some are small, text-based ads, whereas others, such as product listing ads (PLAs, also known as Shopping ads) are more visual, product-based advertisements that allow consumers to see important information at-a-glance, such as price and reviews.

Search engine marketing's greatest strength is that it offers advertisers the opportunity to put their ads in front of motivated customers who are ready to buy at the precise moment they're ready to make a purchase. No other advertising medium can do this, which is why search engine marketing is so effective and such an amazingly powerful way to grow your business.

Source: (wordstream.com)

SEM Keyword Research

Before you can choose which keywords to use in your search engine marketing campaigns, you need to conduct comprehensive research as part of your keyword management strategy.

First, you need to identify keywords that are relevant to your business and that prospective customers are likely to use when searching for your products and services. One way to accomplish this is by using WordStream's Free Keyword Tool Simply enter a keyword that's relevant to your business or service, and see related keyword suggestion ideas that can form the basis of various search engine marketing campaigns.

WordStream's Free Keyword Tool provides you with a range of valuable information, such as search volume for each individual keyword in Google and its general competitiveness.

In addition to helping you find keywords you should be bidding on, thorough keyword research can also help you identify negative keywords – search terms that you should exclude from your campaigns.

Negative keywords aren't terms with negative connotations, but rather irrelevant terms that are highly unlikely to result in conversions. For example, if you sell ice cream, you might want to exclude the keyword “ice cream recipes”, as users searching for ice cream recipes are unlikely to be in the market for your product.

This concept is known as search intent, or the likelihood that a prospect will complete a purchase or other desired action after searching for a given term. Some keywords are considered to have high commercial intent, or a strong indication that the searcher wants to buy something. Examples of high commercial intent keywords include:

Source: (wordstream.com)

Sources

You can find more about Search engine marketing in the following sources:

  • Search engine marketing - Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org) -
  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM): How to Do It Right (wordstream.com) - Search engine marketing is one of the best ways to grow your business in a competitive marketplace. In this guide, you'll learn an overview of search engine marketing basics, tips and strategies.
  • Search Engine Marketing (optimizely.com) -
  • What Is Search Marketing? (searchengineland.com) - What Is Search Marketing? Search Marketing encompasses: SEO: Earning traffic through unpaid or free listings SEM: Buying traffic through paid search
  • What Is SEM? PPC & Paid Search Marketing Explained (searchengineland.com) - Everything paid search marketers need to know about SEM, PPC & Paid Search Marketing. Trusted daily news, tips & tactical guides for search advertising.
  • SEM: Tips, Benefits, & How It Relates to SEO (blog.hubspot.com) - SEO and SEM seem to be used interchangeably, but they're actually two different practices. Here's how to tell the difference between the two!
  • What is SEM? Search Engine Marketing Explained - Vizion Interactive (vizion.com) - Search engine marketing, or SEM, is the strategy of using paid advertising to get your website to appear on the first page of the search engine results
  • What is SEM? Search Engine Marketing Explained (disruptiveadvertising.com) - Search engine marketing (SEM) is the practice of utilizing paid ad campaigns based on keywords to connect to users actively searching for brands like yours.
  • Introduction to search engine marketing (SEM) (learndigital.withgoogle.com) - Search Engine Marketing (SEM) can open up a world of opportunities when it comes to promoting your service or product. By specifically targeting people interested in your website, you can use online advertising to directly connect with future customers. Learn how an SEM auction works and which elements are important to master so you can create ads that stand out from the crowd.
  • Search Engine Marketing vs. Social Media Marketing: The Showdown (neilpatel.com) - When it comes to driving traffic to your website, there are a variety of ways to get visitors. The primary two that individuals and businesses almost always have a struggle with investing their time and money into are search and social.
  • Homepage - Search Engine Watch (searchenginewatch.com) -
  • What Is SEM? A Guide to Paid Search Engine Marketing - Alexa Blog (blog.alexa.com) - What is SEM? Learn the definition of SEM, how it’s different from SEO and search marketing, and what you need to know to create effective paid search campaigns.
  • Microsoft Advertising (ads.microsoft.com) - Sign up for Microsoft Advertising. Use our search engine marketing and audience solutions to help you build your business.
  • Beginner's Guide to SEO [Search Engine Optimization] (moz.com) - New to SEO? Looking for higher rankings and traffic through Search Engine Optimization? The Beginner's Guide to SEO has been read over 10 million times.
  • What are the Different Types of Search Engine Marketing (SEM)? (b-seenontop.com) - There are three main types of search engine marketing (SEM) that help you earn greater visibility in search results. They are intertwined and complex. View a side-by-side comparison of their differentiating factors. Learn the pros and cons so you can decide how best to use them.
  • Search Engine Journal - Marketing News, Interviews and How-to Guides (searchenginejournal.com) - Search Engine Journal is dedicated to producing the latest search news, the best guides and how-tos for the SEO and marketer community.
  • What is SEM? And How It Benefits Your Business Marketing (lyfemarketing.com) - So what is SEM? It is a very effective way for small businesses to reach new customers, increase revenues, and trim acquisition costs.
  • What is search engine marketing? Definition, basic concepts and how you can use this · Cyberclick (cyberclick.net) - What is search engine marketing? Definition, basic concepts and how you can use this to help your company. Cyberclick
  • Search engine marketing (smartinsights.com) - Get more information and advice on how to succeed at search engine marketing with the expert resources included on our informative hub page.
  • Search engine marketing - Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org) - Search engine marketing (SEM) is a form of Internet marketing that involves the promotion of websites by increasing their visibility in search engine results ...
  • What Is SEM? PPC & Paid Search Marketing Explained (searchengineland.com) - SEM (Search Engine Marketing) is the process of gaining website traffic by purchasing ads on search engines. Related SEM Synonyms & Acronyms. “ Search ...
  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM): How to Do It Right (wordstream.com) - Search Engine Marketing – An Overview. Search engine marketing is the practice of marketing a business using paid advertisements that appear on search ...
  • Under attack (semrush.com) - SEMrush.com
  • SEM vs. SEO: What’s the Difference and Which is Right for My Brand? - Alexa Blog (blog.alexa.com) - When you understand SEM vs. SEO, you know exactly how each strategy can help you meet your goals. Learn the difference between SEO and SEM and decide which is right for your business.
  • SEM: Tips, Benefits, & How It Relates to SEO (blog.hubspot.com) - 3 Jan 2020 ... SEM, or search engine marketing, is a marketing tactic where a marketer optimizes and advertises their website in order to appear higher in ...
  • Society for Experimental Mechanics (sem.org) -
  • SEM (semmachinery.com) -
  • SEM - Data Driven Marketing (semtr.com) - SEM is the leading Performance Marketing Agency with services focused on SEM, Remarketing, RTB, Social Media Marketing, SEO and Web Analytics in Turkey.
  • Homepage (sem.admin.ch) -
  • Stock Exchange of Mauritius (stockexchangeofmauritius.com) -
  • Scanning Electron Microscopy - an overview (sciencedirect.com) -
  • Home - SEM Shred (semshred.com) - Global Leader in High Security Information End-of-Life Solutions for Over 50 Years. NSA Listed and Data Center Compliant.
  • Scanning Electron Microscopy - an overview (sciencedirect.com) -
  • What Exactly is the Difference Between SEO & SEM? (weidert.com) - Know the difference between search engine optimization (SEO) vs. search engine marketing (SEM), plus tips on how to use both to improve online visibility.
  • International Working Group on Satellite-based Emergency Mapping (IWG-SEM) (un-spider.org) - The International Working Group on Satellite-based Emergency Mapping (IWG-SEM) is a voluntary group of organizations involved in satellite-based emergency mapping. It was founded in order to improve cooperation, communication and professional standards among the global network of satellite-based emergency mapping providers. The chairperson of the group is nominated for a term

Topics

These topics were mentioned multiple times across various sources:

  • Search engine marketing
  • Search Result
  • Search engine optimization
  • Search Marketing
  • keyword research
  • search engine results page
  • organic search
  • Quality Score
  • AdWords
  • landing page
  • Yahoo
  • Chase
  • Google adwords
  • social media
  • pay per click
  • target audience
  • search advertising
  • marketing strategy
  • digital marketing
  • search term
  • Compare
  • marketing campaign
  • Facebook
  • click advertising
  • click through rate
  • Allen
  • umbrella term
  • Microsoft
  • search visibility
  • paid advertising

Questions

These are some relevant questions found across sources:

  • What Is A SEM Marketing Strategy?
  • What is SEM? Search Engine Marketing Explained
  • What is Included in SEM marketing?
  • What Is SEM Compared to Social Media Advertising?
  • Do Keywords Still Matter for SEM?
  • What is the Key Difference Between SEO and SEM?
  • What Are Some Examples of SEM Strategies?
  • What is the difference between SEM and SEO?
  • What Is SEM & How Does it Benefit Your Business
  • Why Is SEM Important?

Sections

These are some relevant subsections found across sources:

  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Overview
  • SEM Keyword Research
  • Search engine marketing definition
  • Types of Search Engine Marketing (SEM)
  • Perform Keyword Research
  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Overview
  • Search Engine Marketing – An Overview
  • SEM: Tips, Benefits, & How It Relates to SEO
  • Search engine marketing success factors
  • Get expert marketing insights delivered

Statistics

These are some factual sentences found across sources:

  • The higher position is likely to cost $5 for a given keyword, and $4.50 for a third location. (en.wikipedia.org)
  • For example, rather than "big discounts," specify an exact percentage, such as "50 percent off." ◦ Give customers a reason to click your ad right now. (ads.microsoft.com)
  • The higher position is likely to cost $5 for a given keyword, and $4.50 for a third location. (en.wikipedia.org)