The Fundamental Components of Search Engine Marketing

The Internet is full of articles discussing the fundamentals or key elements of search engine marketing (SEM), effective search engine optimization, and how to run an SEO or PPC campaign on your own for less. A lot of the “miracle solution” articles are, unsurprisingly, not worth reading. Most companies that can afford decent SEM don’t really need to be concerned with any of the more sophisticated SEO information anyway and would probably be better off leveraging its budget to hire a search engine advertising agency than to try and develop the expertise internally. However, because most companies have at least a few people who control and monitor their website and online activities, it is worthwhile for an SEM project manager to understand a few of the fundamentals that relate to more effective SEM.

The first, but perhaps most obvious components of SEO are the different types of advertising available for a search engine marketing campaign. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a long-term strategy that improves some elements of the client’s website to increase its visibility and indexibility for search engines’ web crawlers. Coupled with various linking and backlinking strategies to improve its credibility and quality scores with search engines, this helps to achieve a higher ranking for a particular keyword search phrase or set of phrases. It is a long-term strategy because search engines base their ranking on a complex algorithm that they do not completely divulge, and this algorithm can be slow in incorporating changes in any one site.

The second most common component is pay per click (PPC) advertising, which is the yin to SEO’s yang. SEM venders work with clients to choose phrases they think potential customers might search, and then bid to have the company’s advertisements placed in various online locations related to the chosen keyword phrase, such as on the side of search engine results. The bid price is the cost to the client for each time someone clicks one of these ads. The costs and efficiency of this strategy vary greatly depending on how much bid competition there is over the keyword, how well designed the ad copy and landing page are, and a variety of other factors. However, it is generally an effective strategy to quickly increase traffic.

There are other smaller options as well, such as the older pay for inclusion and social media advertising using portals such as Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. Each of these options can be effective for specific marketing goals on its own or be used in conjunction with other search engine marketing techniques for a robust, blended approach. These SEM fundamentals can be altered or tailored for various marketing needs, which is why a company should understand them at a basic level. 

Search Engine Marketing Is a Vast Field. Any Company Doing SEM, Whether with an Ad Firm or in-house, Should Understand These Basics. To Learn More Visit Wpromote.com