What is SEM?

Search Engine Marketing is paid advertising on search engines like Google and Bing. Google places an "Ad" icon on these search results to inform the searcher that these search results are advertisements. This type of advertising is also called "PPC" which stands for "Pay per click". SEM can be a relatively quick way to get traffic to a new website, or a method to cover gaps in natural search results.

SEM Campaigns

Campaigns are developed that may promote different products, services, seasonal offerings or utilize different targeting strategies. Campaigns contain adgroups and keywords. Targeting by geography and demographics is done on the campaign level. Dayparting, budget and expiration are also set at the campaign level. A business's SEM account might have hundreds of campaigns. After the campaigns start they must be optimized. Adjustments are made to improve CTR, ROI, ROAS, CPC, etc.

A Complex Process

The set-up, administration and maintenence of SEM campaigns can be quite complex. Keywords have to be researched so that appropriate keyword lists can be developed. In addition, keyword match types can control which searches trigger the ads. These lists must be organized into "Adgroups" which are basically keyword themes. For each adgroup, at least three ads must be written. These text ads must conform to strict guidelines published by the search provider (Usually Google or Bing.) Text ads may only contain a certain number of characters, may not contain repetitious punctuation, must be relevant to the landing page content, contain correct spelling and spacing, etc.

The management of SEM accounts is a continuous process. We can setup a new SEM account, audit or manage your existing account. Contact us today.