The ABCs of SEM: What is Search Engine Marketing?

Each week, 58.4 percent of consumers purchase a product or service online. This trend in online purchasing, which has been increasing since the pandemic, offers the chance for businesses to get their brands discovered.


Since most online experiences begin with a search engine, however, the only real way for a small business to get ahead of some of their competitors is to turn to search engine marketing.


If you have a small business struggling to get the attention it needs, search engine marketing can boost its search engine results. But what is search engine marketing and how can it help your business? Read on to learn all about it.

58.4 percent of consumers purchase a product or service online

What Is Search Engine Marketing?

Search engine marketing (SEM) is an online marketing strategy to make a website easier to find on search engine results pages (SERPs). Its goal is to get the site to the first page, if not the first result, on any search engine. This level of visibility will drive more traffic to the site and allow for more conversions.


There are two main ways of getting the site to show up at the top of the results.


Organic results are displayed in the center of the page and are selected by the search engine's algorithm. The algorithm assesses the content of the site and how relevant it is to a particular keyword search, as well as the authority of the site.


Paid results are also displayed on the page. The advertiser has to pay a certain amount for each click on their ad.


Search engine marketing focuses on paid results and on how to lower costs per click while maximizing conversions and maintaining the site at the top of search engine results.

How Does SEM Work? Platforms, Keywords, and Tactics

An SEM platform is the search engine in which ads can be placed and which will display them along with the rest of the results. The most common SEM platforms are Google and Bing.


SEM keywords are the words you choose to target in your marketing campaigns. When users search for those phrases or keywords, they will see your ads. There are four types of keywords in SEM campaigns.


  • Broad match keywords, which target variations of a term such as similar phrases, singular and plural forms, misspellings, and synonyms.
  • Phrase match keywords, which target the exact phrase and any phrases that have words that come before or after the target keyword.
  • Exact match keywords, which target words closely related to the target term.
  • Negative keywords, which are terms you do not want to target


SEM targeting is one of the most-used tactics. Targeting keywords tells the search engine when to show your ads, but SEM targeting lets you add other parameters for when the ad should appear.


You can choose location targeting, where only people who are within a certain ZIP code will get the ads. Another option is ad schedule targeting, for when you want your ad to be displayed only during a certain time of the day or a certain day of the week.


Demographic targeting is another option. You can allow people from a certain demographic to see your ads.


If you choose device targeting, your ad will only show up for people who are using a specific device.

Benefits of SEM

Search engine marketing offers many benefits for a small business. Let us look at how it can transform your visibility.


Creates Qualified Traffic

Creating organic traffic can take a long time and it does not always bring the quality of users you want to your site. With SEM, you know the people on your site are interested in what you offer because they searched for it themselves.


Increases Visibility

Even if the user does not click on your site, having your brand at the top of search results allows people to start associating your business with quality services.

In the future, if they need your products or services, they are more likely to remember your business. You can also create search ads that will appear on your competitors' related keywords. You get the chance to convert those clients from your competitors to you.


Maximizes Your Budget

Search engine marketing is the perfect option for companies of all sizes because the minimum investment is affordable. It allows you to scale up or down as needed, and you can add complexity to your marketing campaigns if you need to maintain upwards momentum.

Because you only pay if you get clicks on your ads, you know your budget is not wasted.


Measurable Results

SEM solutions offer various metrics throughout the campaigns you set up so you know what is happening at all times. You can see which keywords work best and tweak demographics if you need to. Being able to adjust the campaign lets you get the most out of every marketing dollar you spend.

What Is Search Engine Marketing?

Search engine marketing (SEM) is an online marketing strategy to make a website easier to find on search engine results pages (SERPs). Its goal is to get the site to the first page, if not the first result, on any search engine. This level of visibility will drive more traffic to the site and allow for more conversions.


There are two main ways of getting the site to show up at the top of the results.


Organic results are displayed in the center of the page and are selected by the search engine's algorithm. The algorithm assesses the content of the site and how relevant it is to a particular keyword search, as well as the authority of the site.


Paid results are also displayed on the page. The advertiser has to pay a certain amount for each click on their ad.


Search engine marketing focuses on paid results and on how to lower costs per click while maximizing conversions and maintaining the site at the top of search engine results.

How Does SEM Work? Platforms, Keywords, and Tactics

An SEM platform is the search engine in which ads can be placed and which will display them along with the rest of the results. The most common SEM platforms are Google and Bing.


SEM keywords are the words you choose to target in your marketing campaigns. When users search for those phrases or keywords, they will see your ads. There are four types of keywords in SEM campaigns.


  • Broad match keywords, which target variations of a term such as similar phrases, singular and plural forms, misspellings, and synonyms.
  • Phrase match keywords, which target the exact phrase and any phrases that have words that come before or after the target keyword.
  • Exact match keywords, which target words closely related to the target term.
  • Negative keywords, which are terms you do not want to target


SEM targeting is one of the most-used tactics. Targeting keywords tells the search engine when to show your ads, but SEM targeting lets you add other parameters for when the ad should appear.


You can choose location targeting, where only people who are within a certain ZIP code will get the ads. Another option is ad schedule targeting, for when you want your ad to be displayed only during a certain time of the day or a certain day of the week.


Demographic targeting is another option. You can allow people from a certain demographic to see your ads.


If you choose device targeting, your ad will only show up for people who are using a specific device.

Benefits of SEM

Search engine marketing offers many benefits for a small business. Let us look at how it can transform your visibility.


Creates Qualified Traffic

Creating organic traffic can take a long time and it does not always bring the quality of users you want to your site. With SEM, you know the people on your site are interested in what you offer because they searched for it themselves.


Increases Visibility

Even if the user does not click on your site, having your brand at the top of search results allows people to start associating your business with quality services.

In the future, if they need your products or services, they are more likely to remember your business. You can also create search ads that will appear on your competitors' related keywords. You get the chance to convert those clients from your competitors to you.


Maximizes Your Budget

Search engine marketing is the perfect option for companies of all sizes because the minimum investment is affordable. It allows you to scale up or down as needed, and you can add complexity to your marketing campaigns if you need to maintain upwards momentum.

Because you only pay if you get clicks on your ads, you know your budget is not wasted.


Measurable Results

SEM solutions offer various metrics throughout the campaigns you set up so you know what is happening at all times. You can see which keywords work best and tweak demographics if you need to. Being able to adjust the campaign lets you get the most out of every marketing dollar you spend.

Use Search Engines for Your Benefit

What is search engine marketing? It is the way to get your brand noticed and start rising above your competition. By creating effective campaigns that target the right keywords, demographics, and locations, you can expect a boom in your site's traffic.


At Ubiweb, we are a digital marketing service ready to help business owners with their online marketing campaigns. By utilizing your business expertise and pairing it with our technological savvy, we can help you grow.


Get in touch with us today to learn more!

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