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What is SEM, and why does your business need to know?
This term is often used interchangeably with other terms - most notably, SEO. However, these two things are technically different. SEO is a type of SEM, but you'll learn more about that throughout this post. You'll also understand why your business should care about SEM and use it to your advantage.
What is SEM?
Some of you might be able to guess what SEM stands for based on what SEO stands for. It means Search Engine Marketing, which basically encompasses all the different marketing methods through search engines. Mainly, this includes SEO and PPC.
What is SEO?
We will only go into some detail on this topic, as it has been covered in a previous post. Effectively, search engine optimization refers to different tactics to boost your organic search engine performance. In short, good SEO means a high ranking in the search results.
What is PPC?
PPC marketing is a form of paid advertising on search engines. Essentially, you bid on keywords to get your website to appear in the sponsored results. These results are usually advertised at the top of the search engine pages above the organic ones. Therefore, it has a lot of potential because people will see these results first, meaning they might click on them before seeing the organic results. PPC stands for pay-per-click, and this links to how you pay for the adverts. Once your bid has been accepted, you will pay a set price for every click your advert gets. So, if nobody clicks on your website, you don't pay any money.
Why is SEM important?
Search engine marketing is arguably the most critical aspect of every marketing strategy. Most consumers are begging for their buyer's journey on search engines; it's how they find businesses. A quick Google search gives them all the results they need. By using SEO and PPC, you boost your visibility on search engines. Your website starts to come up higher in the results, increasing the chances it gets clicked on. Therefore, you can generate more leads and more sales!
How do you think you should compose an SEM strategy?
This is where things get tricky, as SEM is relatively complex. Getting to grips with SEO and PPC is challenging for many small business owners. Instead, it's best to get professional help in this domain. Consider looking on freelance websites, like Snupit, which can provide you with SEM experts. From here, you work with these experts to formulate goals and aims for an SEM strategy. Then, implementations are made to ensure your website performs excellently in terms of results.
Overall, search engine marketing is a necessary term that every business owner should understand. You don't need an in-depth knowledge of it, as you will likely hire a freelancer or agency to create your strategy. Still, it helps to know the basics, such as what SEM is and why it's essential.