What is SEM?
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is an effective way to promote a business through paid advertisements on search engine results pages. Suppose you want your website or a specific page of your site to be displayed on the first page of a search engine like Google or Bing. To achieve this, you may choose to bid on keywords that a user might enter in Google or Bing to search for a specific topic/product/service. These ads are known as Pay-Per-Click ads or PPCs, and they are of various types.
This type of ads may come in a text-based format or they may be more visual and interactive, particularly when they are about a product. Such product-based ads are often known by the term Product Listing Ads or Shopping Ads. All major eCommerce sites use Google advertising to increase their sales. The use of Search Ads is however far beyond eCommerce. It is the digital marketing channel of choice for any type of business when advertisers want to see fast and efficient results.
Why is SEM Important?
Google processes around 3.5 billion searches daily, making up about 92% of the entire search queries worldwide on any given day. This is why it holds a unique position and is quite appealing for advertisers looking to reach their potential customers.
People are searching for anything from information to products and services. For instance, they could be in the first stage of their path to purchase, researching, or looking for information about accommodation in a specific town. Or at the final decision stage narrowing down their options and getting closer to choosing the latest smartphone they have been dreaming of for some time.
What differentiates Search Ads from the rest of other available marketing channels is its ability to target potential customers exactly when they seek any type of information. It is based on keyword targeting, which is the best indicator of a customer’s intent.
On top of timing the ad with perfect accuracy, it does not charge any fees for impressions. Advertisers are only charged when a potential customer shows actual interest by clicking the ad (Pay-per-click billing).
These features make the Search Ads much more appealing and a must-use channel for all advertisers, be it small, medium, or large businesses looking to reach potential customers.