FAQ: What is SEM?
At Advantage Media Group, our clients frequently ask us “What is SEM”. Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a direct advertising technique designed to increase a webpages visibility through paid advertising. This can be through means such as ‘Paid placement’ and ‘Cost Per Click (CPC)’, in addition to common SEM tool Google AdWords.
It is important to understand and implement SEM tactically to increase your websites ranking on Google. A website is more likely to earn business if it’s on the first page of a search results page. You may already know from your own personal experiences that if your query is answered on the first page, the chances of you clicking to page 2 or 3 are slim to none.
SEM tactics:
Paid Placement will position a website above organic SEO websites. The cost of this depends on how often, and how high the advertisement will appear in search engine results. A Google search of the term ‘Dog Wash’ for example, produces the top two search results as paid advertisements. One way to recognise this is the green “Ad” symbol on the left of the link.
Cost Per Click occurs when a user clicks on an advertisement, a link, or a Google Search Result, and the website owner is charged per click. It is a form of online marketing designed to direct online traffic to these sites.
Cost Per Impression (CPI) is the cost charged to a business per impressions. Advertisers pay a fare each time an advertisement or website appears in a search engine result.
Pay Per Click (PPC) is a quick way to get your website featuring at the top of a search engine results page. It is easy to set up and can have you featuring in the top Google results within an hour. Pay per click works with Google AdWords to allow businesses to bid on trending key words. Again, the businesses will be charged every time the site is clicked on.
Pay Per Call (PPC) some advertisements shown to mobile users, may incur a fee for the number of clicks that result in direct phone calls.
SEM is a valuable tool in online marketing if utilised correctly. At Advantage Media Group we specialise in SEM, SEO and Website Design. If you are interested in a revamped online marketing strategy contact us.
