Beginner’s Guide to SEM

In our last blog, we discussed everything about Search Engine Optimization. Today, we will get into the details of Search Engine Marketing. SEM is a faster but expensive way to achieve what one can with SEO i.e. to appear on top of the Search Engine Results Page (SERP) when someone searches for niche-related keywords.

But it is not limited to that only. There are various types of ads and campaigns that you can run on Search Engines to reach your target audience. The one we discussed above is called Search Advertising. The best campaign for you depends on your business type and its goals. Let’s discuss each of them in detail.

Types of SEM Campaigns (Google)

1.) Search Campaigns

As discussed above, Search campaigns allow you to reach people while they’re searching for what you have to offer. You can choose specific search keywords for which you want to show your ads.

When Choose Search Campaigns

Since with the help of search ads you can target people who are actively searching for a solution, these campaigns are useful when the goal is to generate leads and sales.

2.) Display Campaigns

It involves displaying visually engaging banner ads on websites and mobile apps. You can even target specific websites and apps where you think your audience might be spending time.

When Choose Display Campaigns

Digital Campaigns are a useful medium for Brand Awareness. You can also use them to generate leads and sales. A lot of experts consider them specifically useful for remarketing.

3.) Video Campaigns

This type of campaign allows you to show Video ads on platforms like YouTube. You can reach subscribers and viewers of a particular channel or target people by their interests.

When Choose Video Campaigns

Video Marketing is booming as it is one of the best ways to engage your target audience. Apart from brand awareness, you can use them for generating leads and sales and even for remarketing.

Types of Video Campaigns

You can choose from 9 types of Video Campaigns:

Drive Conversions: Use action-focused ads and targeting to generate leads and sales.

Custom Video Campaign: You can customize your setting with different ad types.

Skippable in-stream: Build awareness with skippable ads.

Non-skippable in-stream: Build awareness with 15-second non-skippable ads.

Bumper: Build awareness with 6-second non-skippable ads.

Outstream: You can tailor your video ads to phones and tablets.

Influence Consideration: Use skippable or discovery ads to make people consider what you are offering.

Ad Sequence: You can also tell a story with a series of video ads in a sequence.

4.) Shopping Campaigns

This type of campaign is ideal for businesses selling physical products. These ads appear when someone searches for the products you have to offer. Apart from products that you sell online, you can also run ads for your local inventory. In this case, instead of getting redirected to your website, the person clicking on the ad will see your local store details like open hours, phone number, and directions.

When Choose Shopping Campaigns

As mentioned above, Shopping ads can be run by businesses that want to get more sales for their physical products like clothes, shoes, etc.

5.) App Campaigns

With the increasing popularity of Mobile Apps, businesses are putting a lot of focus on them. App campaigns are used to promote mobile applications. The ads run on all various channels like the App Store, Search Engine, YouTube, Websites, and Other Apps.

When Choose App Campaigns

You might have guessed the answer to this by now. Simply run App Campaigns when you need more downloads, engagement, and sign-ups for your app.

6.) Local Campaigns

Local businesses can harness the power of the internet as well with the help of Local Ad Campaigns. Your physical store will be promoted across the Search Engine, Maps, and YouTube.

When Choose Local Campaigns

To build a stronger online brand, get more leads/phone calls, and drive more visits to the physical store, local businesses can use this type of campaign.

7.) Smart Campaigns

It is the easiest way to get your ads up and running. Just fill in your business info and create a few ads. The search engine will find the best way to get you the highest return on your investment.

When Choose Smart Campaigns

It is helpful for people who do not have the required skill set to run other complex types of campaigns.

Benefits of SEM

1.) Instant Results

Strategies like SEO and SMO take at least a few months (it might even take years!) to start producing results. But with ads, you can generate traffic, leads, and sales almost as soon as you start running them. It also helps you quickly check the response of a new product before investing a lot of your time and money.

2.) Detailed Targeting

Search Engines know a lot about their users. As a result, they enable the advertisers to target people based on their demographics (like location, age, gender, etc.), interests, and behaviors.

3.) The Power of Intent

The intent of the target audience matters a lot when it comes to advertising. Unlike Social Media where users come for pleasure, on Search Engines, they are actively looking for solutions that you provide. They have a buying intent that is absent in social media and as a result, ads on Search Engine prove to be more effective.

4.) Pay only for Results

There are certain types of campaigns in SEM where you can choose to pay only when you get results in the form of clicks, leads, or sales. This rules out the possibility of all your money getting spent without you getting any results which is a big concern for a lot of businesses. The same is not possible with Social Media Marketing.

5.) Remarketing

Often people don’t buy from you the first time. Something might distract them or due to some other reason, they might not complete the action you wanted them to take. In such a case, you can retarget those people who engaged with your business on some level with the help of SEM. For example, website visitors, sign-ups, add-to carts, etc. This is a real goldmine if used wisely as now you will be targeting only those who have previously shown interest in your business.

6.) Analytics

Analytics help you figure out what’s working and what is not. Apart from accurate results, you get a lot of insights into your campaign’s performance to help you make relevant changes and improvements. This constantly optimizes your campaigns and you keep getting better and better results. This is not possible in the case of organic marketing.

Conclusion

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) can prove to be really helpful to almost all kinds of businesses. One can utilize the different types of Ad Campaigns to achieve different business goals. Yes, all the benefits discussed above do come with a cost but if used wisely, it’s worth it.