In its simplest form, search engine marketing (SEM) allows a business to bid on a set of keywords relevant to its business and/or industry, which then triggers an ad to show within the search engine results page. Digging deeper, there is much more to creating and running an SEM campaign than bidding on keywords.
An effective SEM campaign will focus on three main areas – keywords, ad text and a landing page. Before a campaign is built and launched, OMG works with the client to establish goals for the campaign. Depending on the business, a goal could be an online purchase, a phone call, a lead form fill or even viewing a map or driving directions. Once these goals have been established, Kevin will work to build out the campaign (keywords, ads and landing page).
Kevin performs keyword research to identify relevant keywords. Researching keywords will also provide us with an estimate for a recommended spend. Costs vary wildly across industries, and the more competitive your industry is, the higher cost per click (CPC) – the amount you pay when someone clicks on your ad – will be. Once keywords are identified, Kevin will structure campaigns to group similar keywords, which helps with ad text creation.
SEM ads don’t allow for elaborate messaging. You get a total of 95 characters, including spaces (headline = 25, two description lines = 35 each), so the message must be clear, concise, and include a compelling call to action. When a user clicks on the ad, they are directed to the most appropriate landing page on your website.
Landing pages play a large role in generating conversions, which are the actions you want a user to take. These pages must contain a clear headline, body copy, discussing benefits/differentiators and a call to action.
The Benefits of Search Engine Marketing
SEM puts your ad in a highly visible position distinct from organic search results.
Potential customers on mobile devices can tap to call, email, get directions or visit your mobile site from your SEM ad.
Running Search Engine Marketing (SEM) will:
- SEM increases your business’ visibility in search results
- SEM campaigns result in insightful keyword and interaction data
- Performance data collected from an SEM campaign can inform organic strategy
- Users can click or tap your SEM ad to call, email and find directions to your business – and each interaction is trackable
- Custom SEM ads are available for each of your business’ locations
Contact Kevin today and get starting with your Google Ad Campaign (PPC/SEM).
