Search engine marketing
Explore the landscape of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) and discover how adopting an SEO culture and mindset can help your business get ahead.
- Define SEM, SEO, SERP, and PPC and explain how they relate
- Understand how combining SEO and PPC fills the gap in sustained search visibility
- Describe the importance of Local SEO for brick-and-mortar businesses
- Explain what SEO culture is and why it matters across all marketing channels
SEM is the most effective way for an online business to be found by prospective customers. There are two ways to obtain a higher ranking in search: search engine optimization (SEO) and paid search or pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. Both fall under the umbrella of SEM.
Definitions
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| SEM | A digital marketing strategy that uses paid methods to increase the SERP ranking of a website |
| SERP | Search engine results page—the page you see after entering a query into Google, Yahoo, or any other search engine |
| SEO | The process of improving the quality of the website to make it more visible on search engines. Can also refer to a "Search Engine Optimizer" |
| PPC | Pay-per-click—an internet advertising model where an advertiser pays a publisher when the ad is clicked |
People often talk about SEO and PPC separately when truthfully the two go hand in hand. Both strategies target the same goal, and utilization of the two in an integrated way builds authority and drives quicker results simultaneously.
According to Backlinko, less than one percent of Google searchers click on the second page of search results.
The gap
- PPC: Drives traffic quickly, but is a quick fix with no sustainability without SEO. Works well at first, then plateaus when funding runs out.
- SEO: Builds topic authority within search engines. Takes time and a lot of online activity.
There is a gap either at the beginning (waiting for SEO traction) or the end (losing PPC momentum). Combine PPC with SEO to sustain the momentum you build with PPC.
3 ways to leverage marketing channels
- When creating content for a website or blog, keep in mind how that content can be used on other channels.
- When using SEO to improve traffic and capture leads, nurture those leads through email marketing.
- Activate a Google search ad to amplify a blog post.
Local search engine optimization is a branch of SEO that focuses on optimizing a business and its website to be found in local search results. Local SEO aims to increase the search visibility of a brick-and-mortar storefront or services business within a local community. It is of particular importance to smaller businesses that look to do business with customers in specific geographic regions.
- 46% of all Google searches have local intent
- Consumers want to find local businesses quickly and easily
Why Local SEO matters
- Local SEO helps local businesses climb higher in the ranking of local search results. For example, the Google 3-Pack displays the top three results of a local SERP using the searcher's location.
- Local SEO, as it pertains to Google Business Profile (GBP), is the only way to be found when someone searches on Google Maps. The business location needs to be added through GBP.
68% of all online experiences begin with a query through a search engine, and SEO alone drives 1,000% more traffic than just using organic social media.
How Local SEO benefits a business
SEO builds trust and authority with search engines, which in turn builds trust with consumers. Building SEO is both cost-efficient and a long-term strategy that will outlast paid efforts. Organic traffic converts at a higher rate than any other marketing channel. High search rankings once achieved are sustained for a long period of time.
SEO culture is the integration of SEO tactics into the greater company culture by encouraging collaboration across all marketing channels.
Why SEO culture matters
- Aligning all marketing channels ensures content created has ranking power in SERPs
- Understanding keyword strategy saves marketers and copywriters time—no need to rewrite content not originally written with SEO in mind
- Development teams should adopt best practices for web development and website performance
- Content teams need to learn how to write for SEO
- Designers should understand how and why to design to accommodate SEO
- Most importantly: All team members need to feel ownership
Set up dashboards in Google Analytics to measure the impact of work from an SEO standpoint.
Help a content team find and use the best keywords in their writing. Give them ownership by building a dashboard that tracks traffic and lead generation for every piece of content. This creates excitement and guides them on the type of content to create more of, based on the success they see in generating leads.
Key Resources
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Combine SEO and PPC. Build an SEO culture. Help your business get ahead.