Search Engine Marketing: SEM Best Practices (And Why You Need Them) Posted on January 13, 2016August 25, 2022 by Jessica Lunk Search engine marketing, or SEM might sound intimidating, but really it just means promoting your business online. SEM best practices include keyword research and analysis, SEO (Search Engine Optimization), paid advertising, and organic referrals from search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo. Using Search Engine Marketing to Find More Customers Actually, with search engine marketing, you don’t find more customers – they find you! Successful search engine marketing means getting in front of potential customers who are doing research online, searching for solutions to problems you can help them with. Keyword Research & Analysis When you have question – whether it’s where to eat or what software is the best for your business – most likely you’ll type it into a search engine to learn more. Your customers are no different, and that’s why a solid SEM strategy starts with identifying the right keywords. Most advertisers use tools like the Google Keyword Planner to find those keywords and phrases that their potential customers are searching for. When thinking about your keyword strategy, think outside the box for terms that could attract customers early in the sales process in addition to when they’re ready to buy. These terms could be directly related to your business, or they could be an area where your customer’s problem and your expertise intersect. For instance, if you’re a crossfit gym, your keyword strategy might include phrases like “crossfit gym” as well as “workout of the day” or even “eating healthy around the holidays.” Search Engine Optimization Search engine optimization (SEO) is the art and science of getting your website to appear organically in the top of the search results for the keywords and phrases you’re targeting. Once you’ve identified the keywords your customers are searching for, the next step is the build out relevant content. Valuable, in-depth content that relates to your keyword strategy will help your business rise to the top of the search results and get found online. While appearing organically in the search engine results is technically “free,” it does require time and resources to develop content. At the same time, organic traffic to your website is extremely valuable to your business. Think about how Pay Per Click Pay-per-click (PPC), or PPC advertising is one of the most common forms of paid Search Engine Marketing. With PPC advertising, you use your keyword strategy to bid on ad placement in the sponsored ad section of the search results. The single most popular PPC advertising system in the world is Google AdWords. AdWords turn up right in the sponsored link section of Google search results – your bid for a particular keyword determines when it shows up and for how long each day. Like everything else Google does, metrics are important. In fact, your ad’s placement is based on your keyword bid amount and a formula that multiplies your highest CPC bid by your Quality Score, which is based on click-through-rate, relevance, and the quality of your landing page. Geo Targeting If you have a local business, another way to advertise online is by geo targeting. This means using location to help local searchers find you. For instance, if your business is in downtown Sacramento, Calif., you might mention that fact, or perhaps say that your location is across the way from the Golden Bridge in downtown Sacramento. You can also use geo location in paid advertising to serve up ads only to folks in your region. Creating Ad Content Paying for ad placement is worthless if you don’t have ad copy that compels folks to click on your ad. To make sure your ad differentiates itself from others in the same business as you are, do: Note the pain-point your customers are facing. Highlight the benefits of your products or services. Make sure that the copy of your ad is relevant to the keyword that the ad corresponds to. Have the ad point to a relevant landing page on your website. If search engine marketing sounds overwhelming, you’re not alone! There are a ton of moving parts, and some you may feel comfortable managing in-house, and others you may want to outsource. Many small and medium-sized businesses hire experienced digital marketing firms to do the keyword research, write the ads, and do the metrics within SEM best practices. This leaves time for owners to do what they do best – run their business.
What is Inbound Marketing? More Importantly, Is It Better? Posted on January 12, 2016October 21, 2022 by Katie Culp What if instead of a marketing campaign that you hope finds new prospects and customers or clients, your online marketing campaign is designed to have them find you? Inbound marketing is just that, marketing focused on being discovered by customers! Marketing used by most startups and small or medium-sized business is the more traditional, outbound marketing. However, expert internet marketers understand the limitations of outbound marketing, as reflected by these stats from Voltier Digital: 86% of people skip through television commercials 44% of direct mail is never opened 200 million Americans have registered their phone numbers on the FTC’s “Do Not Call List” The outbound marketing methods used to work when marketers controlled the conversation, market, message, and channels. Now, there are infinite channels through which we get our information. Though outbound marketing still is in use and still has its place, it is more expensive than an inbound marketing program and less effective. Why Inbound Marketing Works Most people hate sales calls, do not open emails from people or businesses they do not know, block phone calls from anonymous callers or blacklisted marketers, do not read printed newspapers, and record TV shows to avoid commercials. In other words, consumers really don’t appreciate aggressive advertising – and now have the technology to avoid it. It’s the consumer who’s in the driver’s seat when it comes to conversation. Inbound marketing works well as it is non-intrusive. Potential new customers and existing customers crave quality content and they choose the channels where they find what speaks to them. If you can attract your prospective customers to your website by having a strong content, SEO, and social media strategy, you have a successful inbound marketing campaign. Content Effective inbound marketing campaigns are centered around content creation that offers valuable information. The goal of content should be enticing your prospect to give their information so you can then nurture them into a customer. Either written by you or on your behalf by a professional writer, well-crafted content is the driving force behind your inbound marketing strategy. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) SEO techniques make it easier for would-be customers to find your content on the web. SEO is key to your site’s success by building inbound links from other sites and social media. You want to build a spiderweb of links around the internet that all go back to your website. A side benefit is that as your inbound campaign takes root and you develop inbound links, your Google ranking will go up! Social Media Having a strong presence on social media sites such as Facebook, Google+, Yelp and other social media sites helps you in getting your content distributed to new potential clients. Social media also encourages shares, feels more ‘real’ and fosters discussions about your content – a great way to draw more qualified customers to your website. DIY or Professional Help? Powerful inbound marketing does require investing time and resources into content creation and distribution. But the pay-off is huge. Instead of sinking money into futile advertising or an army of sales people, with the right inbound marketing strategy, the customers come to you! So yes, inbound marketing is better!