Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a digital marketing strategy that involves promoting websites by increasing their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) primarily through paid advertising. SEM typically includes two main components:
1. Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising: In PPC advertising, businesses create ads and bid on specific keywords or phrases relevant to their products or services. These ads appear at the top or side of search engine results when users search for those keywords. Advertisers pay a fee each time someone clicks on their ad, hence the term "pay-per-click"
2. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): While SEM primarily focuses on paid advertising, it's closely related to SEO. SEO involves optimizing a website's content and structure to improve its organic (non-paid) search engine ranking. Although not paid, SEO is an integral part of search engine marketing because higher organic rankings can complement paid advertising efforts.
SEM is an effective way for businesses to target specific keywords and reach potential customers who are actively searching for products or services online. It allows for precise targeting, control over ad budgets, and the ability to track and measure the performance of advertising campaigns. Popular search engines for SEM include Google Ads (formerly AdWords) and Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads).
Overall, SEM is a valuable tool for businesses looking to increase their online visibility and drive relevant traffic to their websites.
