Pay to Play: Is SEM Marketing a Good Idea for Your Business?

If Your Customer is Using the Internet, Then the Answer is Probably Yes

SEM is one of those acronyms you see marketers throwing around — what does it mean exactly? Well, to put it simply - it means Search Engine Marketing. It is a tool that drives your website to the top of the search page based on the relevance of your ad & website to the user’s inquiry.

You might be thinking — isn’t that what we pay for with SEO (Search Engine Optimization)?

And you would be right. Sort of. But that is another blog for another day. To put it succinctly - they are pieces of the same pie, not an either/or conundrum.

What SEM involves that SEO does not, however, is keyword bidding.

With keyword bidding, the power is in the marketer’s hands. The marketer chooses the most powerful, relevant keywords they believe your customers will be using to find your business. In addition, they also devise a strategy to outbid your competitors to drive traffic — and conversions —to your business.

There are several components to a Smart SEM Strategy:

1.) Research
2.) Account Structure
3.) Relevance
4.) Landing Page Experience
5.) Conversion Funnel
6.) Account Maintenance & Longevity
7.) Data & Knowing What to Do With It

The seasoned marketer will know how to deploy these components in a way that drives conversions, leads, & sales —in a word, results. Every business will have a different secret sauce that works for their industry and target market.

Now for the leading question — Will SEM Marketing work for your business?

We believe that if your target market is using the internet, then yes. It will work given enough time and data. 

Google uses machine learning and algorithms that tweak results and create a challenging landscape for marketers, however through experience, we know that a strong and steady digital marketing strategy is the key to success.