Understanding how SEM works is important for any small business that wants to make an impact online. At its core, SEM is the concept of using paid advertising to increase your visibility in the SERPs. Let's take a closer look at the process.
Keyword Research
This is the foundation of any SEM campaign. Small businesses need to identify and bid on keywords that are relevant to their products or services and commonly used by their target audience. Tools like Google's Keyword Planner and Semrush can aid in this research and help businesses find keywords that have a good balance between demand and competition.
Ad Creation
Once keywords are selected, businesses create ads that appear in search results. These ads are typically text-based and should be concise yet compelling, clearly communicating the value proposition of their product or service. Google Ads and Bing Ads offer a variety of formats and options for crafting these messages.
Bidding strategies
SEM works on a bidding system. Companies decide how much they're willing to pay each time a user clicks on their ad. This bid, combined with other factors like ad quality and keyword relevance, determines where your ad appears. The highest bidder doesn't always win; search engines also prioritize ad relevance and quality.
Landing Page
Landing pages are an often overlooked, but critical component. A landing page is the page that a user arrives at after clicking your ad. Effective landing pages are customized to the specific offer in your ad and optimized for a conversion, whether that's a purchase, newsletter signup, or other action that aligns with your business goals.
Analysis and Adjustment
SEM isn't a set-it-and-forget strategy. It requires ongoing monitoring and adjustment. Analytics tools show metrics like click-through rate, conversion rate, and cost per conversion, providing insight into how ads are performing. Businesses use this data to improve their campaigns, tweaking keywords, ad copy, and bidding strategies to optimize performance.
For small businesses, SEM offers a flexible, scalable approach to increasing online visibility. With the right strategy, even businesses on a limited budget can compete effectively and reach potential customers at the exact moment they are looking for what you have to offer.