Search Engine Marketing for Beginner’s [ Part 2 ]

This is Part 2 of a blog series on Search Engine Marketing. This article focuses on PSA (Paid Search Advertising); Part 1 focused on SEO (Search Engine Optimization). To read Part 1 click here.

 

What is Paid Search Advertising? 

If SEO is the unpaid, organic version of Search Engine Marketing, then think of Paid Search Advertising (PSA) as its antithesis. 

It is a paid and inorganic way to ensure your website ranks at the top of search results. This is achieved by paying search engines to advertise your website on the search engine results page (SERP). These are the websites you see first with the word ‘Ad’ next to it at the top of your search engine queries

These ads are tied to certain keywords. For example, if you had a dog grooming company, you could choose to select “pet care” as a keyword. 

When a consumer then searched for “pet care”, they would see your website advertisement at the top of the SERP. 

Here is the beautiful thing: Despite your ad being displayed at the top of the SERP, you don’t actually pay a penny unless someone clicks on your advertisement.

This practice is called PPC, or Pay Per Click. It is one of four must-know terms that make up Paid Search Advertising. 

 

Four Must-Know Terms for Paid Search Advertising

 

Pay Per Click:

A form of SEM designed to increase web traffic in which advertisers pay each time an ad is clicked.

 

Google AdWords:

You guessed it! The name of Google’s PPC advertising system.  If you wanted to run an advertisement for your website on Google, this is the platform you would go to. 

It’s very simple. Just bid on the specific keywords that are relevant to your website. Then, your advertisement will display on Google’s search results for the keywords you selected. 

Once again, you as the advertiser do not pay a single cent unless your ad is clicked on and the consumer visits your website

 

Remarketing Search Ads:

This feature allows advertisers to pay to target consumers with ads that have visited your website before. 

The idea is that if a consumer has previously visited your website, targeting them with an advertisement might serve as the little push they need to make a purchase.

In practice, this means that whenever a consumer who has visited your website before later searches a keyword that you bid on, your advertisement will display on a search engine or a partner site (sites with advertisements). 

For example, let’s say you own a clothing store. Normally, bidding on a keyword like gift or present might seem useless since it is very vague.

However, because using Remarketing Search Ads means your ad will only display to people who have visited your website before, you can breathe easy knowing the consumer already has an interest in your product and just needs a subtle reminder to make a purchase. 

Remarketing Search Ads can lead to a +300% conversion rate and a 30% increase in your return on investment compared to regular PSA

 

PPC Campaign Optimization:

This is an extended version of the regular Pay Per Click (PPC). 

PPC, as aforementioned, is a model wherein you pay each time your ad is clicked. With PPC Campaign Optimization, your advertising is more methodical

Instead of bidding on a few keywords you hope might attract consumers to your website, you bid on a wide range of keywords that display on search engines for a pre-determined period of time. 

Then you can go back and track how well each keyword performed in driving traffic to your website. 

Those words that performed poorly and did not create many clicks can then be cut from your PPC campaign. The best part is you don’t have to spend much money to optimize your campaign.

Now you are only left with the keywords that you already know performed well. With these high-performing keywords, you will achieve a greater click rate on your PPC advertisements. 

 

Adjusting to Paid Search in the COVID-era

COVID-19 has thrown a wrench into business planning. It can be hard to know how to attract customers in such a volatile market. However, consumers are shifting to eCommerce at lightspeed. Utilizing Search Engine Marketing (SEM) may be key to driving sales for your business, even if it has not required spending on digital ads in the past. 

Word of Mouth advertising is harder to come by when people do not interact with each other. 

Even if you are a well-established brand, losing Word of Mouth advertising can mean that people forget about your business. 

If people no longer say, “I went to ______ today”, you are losing your free advertising. SEM can make up for that gap.

 

SEO vs. PSA

Taking on a combination of SEO and PSA will help to better market your business and is sure to pay off in both the long and short term. 

Whether you prefer organic SEO or paid PSA, having your website display at the top of search results is sure to improve your market reach and drive greater sales for your company. 

Pick your poison or choose both, the choice is yours

 

Need an SEM Wizard?

If you’re looking for help with search engine marketing you’re in the right place. Whether you’d like to raise your SEO ranking or run a PSA campaign to drive business, DataDay can help you.

We specialize in helping businesses improve their online presence; you might call us SEM wizards. If you’d like to learn more about how DataDay can magically attract you more consumers and drive more business, you can schedule a free consultation below.

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