Search engine marketing (SEM)
Overview[edit | edit source]
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a form of online marketing strategy that involves the promotion of websites by increasing their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) primarily through paid advertising. SEM may incorporate search engine optimization (SEO), which adjusts or rewrites website content and site architecture to achieve a higher ranking in search engine results pages to enhance pay per click (PPC) listings.
Usage Types[edit | edit source]
SEM includes various types of digital marketing strategies and tactics. The primary ones are:
Pay Per Click (PPC)[edit | edit source]
Pay-per-click is an internet marketing model used to drive traffic to websites, in which an advertiser pays a publisher when the ad is clicked. In search engine marketing, advertisers bid on keyword phrases relevant to their target market.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)[edit | edit source]
Search engine optimization is the process of enhancing the quality and quantity of website traffic by increasing the visibility of a website or a web page to users of a web search engine. While SEO is sometimes considered an aspect of SEM, it involves different tactics such as keyword research, link building, and on-page optimization.
Cost Per Impression (CPM)[edit | edit source]
Cost per impression or cost per thousand impressions (CPM) is a term used in traditional advertising media selection, as well as online advertising and marketing related to web traffic. It refers to the cost of traditional advertising or internet marketing or email advertising campaigns, where advertisers pay each time an ad is displayed.
Local Search Ads[edit | edit source]
Local search advertising specifically targets local consumers ready to buy a certain product or service. A high percentage of these customers will purchase once they've found the locations where they can do business near them.
Shopping Campaigns[edit | edit source]
Shopping campaigns are a specific type of advertisement, separate from text ads. They show users a photo of your product, plus a title, price, store name, and more. These ads give users a strong sense of the product you're selling before they click the ad, which gives you more qualified leads.