SEM Best Practices
Search engine marketing (SEM) might sound intimidating, but really it just means spending some money promoting your business online. All the acronyms in online marketing can get confusing. While you need to know what each one means, it can be easy to confuse similar terms. This is especially true when the tips and tricks for optimizing each one are nearly identical. One thing to note with this type of marketing is that search engines want your campaigns to be successful so that you will keep purchasing ad space with them. Simply put, SEM is a form of paid digital marketing. A few best practices that have shown to be effective when working to optimize SEM campaigns include:
Keyword Research
Choosing the right keywords for your brand can be an incredible tool when it comes to driving new traffic to your website. Consider how you research things, the language you use to look for restaurants, or a new service, your customers are no different. This is why a solid SEM strategy starts with identifying the right keywords. When thinking about your keyword strategy, think outside the box for terms that could attract customers early in the decision-making process in addition to when they’re ready to buy. These terms could be directly related to your business, or they could be an area where your member’s problems and your expertise intersect. Here are a few things to help you in selecting the right keywords:
Prepare your initial keyword list or seed list based on the target model
Use a keyword research tool to build your lists such as Google Adwords Keyword Planner, or Ahrefs
Filter through your keyword list, selecting the best keywords for your SEM campaign
Researching and selecting the right keywords is the framework of your entire SEM strategy. It’s therefore key that you understand what types of keywords work and what types do not.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
SEO, simply put, is the process of improving your site to increase its visibility for relevant searches. This all ties back to keyword research, and getting your website to appear organically at the top of the search results for the keywords and phrases you’re targeting. 90% of people will not navigate past the first page of search results, typically leading them to click on one of the top three results. This is why SEO is so vital to successfully drive traffic to your website.
Pay Per Click
Pay-per-click (PPC), or PPC advertising is one of the most common forms of paid Search Engine Marketing in which advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked. Essentially, it’s a way of buying visits to your site rather than attempting to “earn” those visits organically. With PPC advertising, you use your keyword strategy to bid on ad placement in the sponsored ad section of the search results. For example, if we bid on the keyword “PPC software,” our ad might show up in the very top spot on the Google results page.
The single most popular PPC advertising system in the world is Google AdWords. These advertisements turn upright in the sponsored link section of Google search results, your bid for a particular keyword determines when it shows up and for how long each day. The better the keyword, the better the placement.
Geotargeting
Another way to advertise online is by geotargeting, using location to help local searchers find you. This is especially helpful for local business owners. Let’s say for instance your business is in Nashville, TN, you may put that your location is across from the Grand Ole Opry. This is great for helping potential new leads locate your business, or can even be used to specifically target people locally.
Creating Ad Content
There’s really no point in paying for ad placement if you don’t have ad copy that compels potential new businesses to click on your ad. Here are a few tips to separate yourself from the competition:
Note the pain points your customers are facing.
Highlight the benefits of your products or services.
Make sure that the copy of your ad is relevant to the keyword that the ad corresponds to.
Have the ad point to a relevant landing page on your website.
If search engine marketing sounds overwhelming, you’re not alone! That’s where we come in! At OMNICOMMANDER, we have a fully loaded marketing team, from SEO specialists to graphic designers, and copywriters to get the right point across for your business. Let us handle all the moving parts!
