Need a little extra help with directing traffic to your website? An advertisement may help. But not just any advertisement. A strategically placed one. SEM can help you achieve this.
Typically, when you search for something in the Google search box, hundreds of thousands of results appear. How do you ensure your website appears on page one and stands out? SEM is your one-way ticket to get your website on the top of the search results page.
What is SEM
SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing. It is marketing done on the internet to promote a certain website. SEM allows a higher number of potential customers to view your website, as it shows up more and higher up in search results. This is also done through paid advertising. The link to your website will appear as an advertisement at the top of the page when someone searches for keywords relating to your website’s content.
How it works
SEM is implemented by bidding on certain popular search keywords among Google and other search engine users. This allows the opportunity for your website’s advertisement to appear above or alongside the search results. These ads can be text-based or visual, depending on the nature of the website or product being promoted.
Why is SEM important
SEM allows you the opportunity to present your website in front of customers ready to buy. Search engine marketing is a very effective way to grow your business and re-route potential customers to your website.
Keyword research
Advertisements are shown when you pay Google or other search engines for this service. But before you pay for your advertisement, it is a good idea to conduct some research on this. It would be best if you first tried to isolate what keywords are most relevant to your website and its content and which of these keywords is commonly entered into the search bar. The more commonly searched for the keyword is, the higher chances of an increased number of potential customers viewing your advertisement.
Negative keywords
Negative keywords are those keywords you should stay away from. For example, if you have a bakery business, ‘cake recipes’ is a term you should avoid. This is because people looking for a recipe to bake a cake are probably not looking for a bakery to buy it from. Instead, focus on more obvious keywords and phrases that catch a viewer’s attention.
Focus on…
Keywords and phrases like ‘discount’, ‘sale’, ‘limited time offer’, and ‘free shipping’ are likely to catch the attention of anyone viewing the search engine page and make it more likely they will click on your advertisement.
Conclusion
A tip to make your job easier: Search online for websites that can tell you how many times a particular keyword is searched for. You can make an informed decision based on the results, and watch your views and visits steadily increase!