The search for a product or service often begins online, which means business owners need to think about their companies’ online presence and how they are going to get their sites in front of potential customers. The most effective way to achieve this visibility is through search engine marketing (SEM), which involves advertising on search engines such as Google, Yahoo and Bing. Put yourself in the customer’s shoes and ask, “where would I look first?” More than likely, your answer is a search engine. SEM puts your company’s site directly in front of the right audience, rather than relying on the search engine itself to decide how your company’s site should rank on the organic listing.

With this in mind, it’s important to market your products and services through SEM; however for the newcomers and busy business owners who either lack the industry knowledge or necessary time may find SEM to be overwhelming. That being said, I decided to put together a few tips to help potential online marketers navigate through the SEM terrain:

Industry Experts- If you’re not SEM-savvy, make sure the people you hire (either in-house or through an agency) know what they are doing. It’s important to remember that not all digital marketing companies specialize in search marketing. Make sure the person or team you hire has enough experience, knowledge, and focus specifically in search engine marketing.

Tools and Reports- SEM is 100% quantifiable, meaning  results can be measured clearly with numbers down to the penny. Whether you’re hiring someone in-house or an outside SEM firm, make sure the right tools and reports are in place to monitor the campaign’s performance. Also, make sure the person in charge of your campaign knows how to interpret and use these tools.

Phone Call Tracking- This is especially important for small businesses considering most conversions start with a call. Phone call tracking helps the SEM expert decide how the campaign should be optimized, and also gives the business owner complete transparency to see performance, conversions, and a return on investment.

Landing Page- This is the first thing a prospective customer sees when they click on an ad on a search engine. Review the landing page where searchers are directed when the advertisement is clicked. Even if the homepage is rich with useful content, it may not convert well. A landing page should be focused and hook the searcher into wanting to learn more about the company and eventually lead to a conversion.

Keyword Selection- When selecting keywords, brainstorm words that you think potential customers would use to search for the product or service you provide, including misspellings. The less competitive the keyword, the lower the cost per click.

Please contact us to learn more about search engine marketing as well as our personally managed eZanga SEM platform.