The term ‘search marketing’ is, and has been, used to cover various marketing activities. It has evolved. So, before we look at exactly what it does, let’s look at what is classed as search marketing.
Search marketing is also known as search engine marketing (SEM), paid search or pay per click (PPC).
Initially, the term ‘search marketing’ meant both organic search undertakings such as search engine optimisation (SEO) and paid. Today, it tends to refer, almost always, to paid search advertising.
What is paid search advertising?
With search engines now something we use on a daily basis, if you set up your search marketing right, it can help your business grow rapidly. It can be one of the most effective ways of reaching new clients.
Search marketing is using paid advertising to make it so your business offerings are visible on search engine results pages (SERPS).
When users insert specific keyphrases into the search bar, SEM comes into play by enabling your business to appear as one of the top results for that search.
It makes sense to test your search marketing, so you can be sure it’s working well for you. The sooner you find this out, the better, so you can adapt your strategy if necessary. Throwing money at it in the hope things will improve is not good practice.
Search engine optimisation vs search marketing
Let’s look at SEM vs SEO in more detail.
They both help to get your content appearing in search results, though they do have different purposes.
SEO enables your content to appear in organic search results listings, i.e. appearing on result pages determined by Google’s analysis of the content and the way in which it relates to search queries.
SEO is free in that you don’t have to pay for your content to be included, however, there may be indirect costs you need to consider:
- Time. To have long-term, consistent high-quality SEO can be time consuming.
- To save yourself time, you may want to invest in an SEO specialist and SEO copywriter.
- You may prefer to delegate this to a website development agency who can handle all your SEO and digital marketing needs, under one roof.
While SEO is a remarkable marketing tool, where search queries are particularly competitive, or you need results fast, you may find it difficult to reach the top of search engine rankings. This is where SEM comes in useful.
For the ultimate marketing strategy, use both SEO and SEM in conjunction with each other.
Benefits of SEM
- More and more consumers are exploring and shopping for products and services on the web and this increase shows no signs of stopping. Quite the opposite. SEM has become – and looks set to remain – a critical marketing tool for growing a business’ reach.
- To corroborate our first point, most new website visitors arrive there through carrying out a search engine query.
- You only pay for impressions resulting in website visitors, so it can be very cost-effective if executed well. In addition to this, each visitor advances your website’s position in organic search result rankings.
- Consumers making search queries are very often ready to buy.
- The timing is spot on. SEM gets to potential clients just at the point they are looking for new information.
- Results are instantaneous.
No need to search any further – WEBPRO is experienced in all forms of digital marketing.
Search ads platforms
Google Ads
The most popular of all paid advertising platforms, Google Ads enables you to display PPC ads at the top of Google search results, on Google property sites, websites in the Google Display Network and on YouTube.
With the giant that is Google, the benefits are unquestionable. They include:
- a huge audience reach
- cost-effective pay per click rates
- the ability to leverage AI for your campaign enrichment
Microsoft Ads
While Bing may not be as popular as Google, it still boasts 1.1 billion users, so its PPC platform – Microsoft Ads – is absolutely worth looking into. Ads appear in Bing search results, Microsoft partner sites and Microsoft property sites.
Benefits include:
- increased visibility in Bing search results
- less competition, with the potential for better ad placement
- the ability to sync your Google Ads with Bing
Amazon Ads
Amazon may not be a traditional search engine; however, it is one of the first places potential clients head when they’re looking for specific products. For businesses selling products on the platform, Amazon Ads can boost sales extensively. Ads appear on Amazon search results and the Amazon homepage as well as product detail pages, plus more.
Benefits include:
- increased visibility on the Amazon platform
- boosted sales
- product promotion on one of the largest shopping platforms
There are plenty of social media ad platforms to choose from too, including:
- Meta (Facebook) Ads. Facebook has a huge reach due to its vast numbers of users.
- Instagram Ads. Instagram is owned by Facebook and its ads work in a similar way. You’re able to have shoppable ads so your products can be purchased in-platform.
- Twitter (X) Ads. This platform could help introduce your business to brand new potential clients.
- LinkedIn Ads. Great for promoting B2B products or services.
- Pinterest Ads. If its middle-to-upper-class women you’re looking to reach, Pinterest could make a good choice.
- YouTube Ads. Videos are huge. And so is YouTube. You can choose whether your ads run at the beginning, middle or end of videos for maximum impact.
- TikTok Ads. This platform works well for targeting younger audiences.
- Reddit Ads. Reddit is a forum-based platform and could help you reach people as they discuss topics and exchange ideas.
Recap: To maximise your online visibility, use SEO and SEM together. Research which will be the most suitable platforms for your paid search campaigns. And test what’s working and what’s not so you can tweak your strategy accordingly. It’s prudent to do this sooner rather than later, potentially saving you wasted ad costs and reaching potential clients as you initially intended to. The WEBPRO team can help with all aspects of your search marketing, saving you valuable time and ensuring your campaigns are running smoothly.
WEBPRO knows
No less than 79% of marketers say that PPC ads are vital to their business’ success.
