Digital transformation has been a hot topic for the past two years. Many businesses have successfully transformed as a result of the digital marketing grant, while others are still attempting to navigate the world of online business and digital marketing.
Given the growth of digital marketing, it is only natural that there are numerous factors to consider. Aside from learning about search engine optimization (SEO), you should also be familiar with the other side of the coin: search engine marketing (SEM).
What Is the Definition of Search Engine Marketing?
SEM and SEO improve a website’s visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs) such as Google, Yahoo!, and Bing. The distinction is that SEM is a paid advertisement, whereas SEO is organic. You must pay for each click on your SEM campaign, which is why it is also known as pay-per-click (PPC) advertising.
7 Ways to Improve Your SEM Campaigns
Make use of Ad Extensions
Ad extensions should be used to maximize the real estate space of your SEM campaign. They are an optional feature that allows you to supplement your ad with additional information such as your business address, contact information, and additional web page links.
An example of an SEM campaign with ad extensions is shown below. FIF Furniture Studio increased the number of web page links in its SEM campaign, which may help attract more attention from those who are interested.
Make use of landing pages
A landing page is where visitors arrive after clicking on your SEM campaign. Unlike the home page, the primary goal of this page is to nudge visitors to take action. To reduce distractions on your landing page, add an engaging call-to-action to your content rather than multiple call-to-actions. As a result, your visitors will be able to concentrate more on the message that your SEM campaign wishes to convey.
Conduct A/B testing
A/B testing, also known as split testing, is another digital marketing strategy to consider. The goal is to see which version of two different SEM campaigns works best for your potential customers. The answer can be determined by comparing the number of clicks and how visitors interact with their respective landing pages.
When performing A/B testing, make sure to run both SEM campaigns for at least one to two weeks to collect enough data. The data gathered will assist you in running a more effective SEM campaign.
Make use of ad scheduling
Instead of allowing your SEM campaign to run throughout the day, including lull periods, you should optimize your SEM campaign by selecting periods of high engagement to appear on SERPs to get the most out of your budget.
For example, if you intend to run an SEM campaign, you can configure it so that it does not appear between 1:00 and 5:00 a.m. when most people are sleeping.
Make Use of Automated Bidding
SEM is the process of increasing the online visibility of your digital marketing campaign to potential customers. The problem is that in order to appear at the top of SERPs, its position will be heavily influenced by your bidding.
The amount of money you are willing to spend for one click of your SEM campaign is referred to as your bidding. You can also save time by using automated bidding instead of doing it manually.
This feature allows Google to set bids automatically based on the bidding range you specify in your Google Ads account. While it does this for you, you can spend the rest of your time managing other important tasks in your business.
Use Keywords to Your Advantage
These are the words or phrases that your potential customers are looking for on the internet. When you match them to your advertisements, you can reach target audiences who are very likely to buy your products or services much more effectively.
You can also use modifiers (quotation marks, brackets, or plus signs) on your keywords to reach a wider audience with your SEM campaign.
Configure Conversion Tracking
Conversion tracking on the Google Ads platform allows you to see if you are progressing toward your business goal.
The conversion tracking metric you set up is dependent on your business goals, whether it is increasing the number of inquiries, subscriptions, or purchases. The data gathered can assist you in understanding and analyzing your customers’ behavior, as well as determining whether your SEM campaigns are effective.
2 SEM Errors to Avoid (And How to Fix Them)
A successful SEM campaign is well worth the time and effort. It can provide your company with the boost it requires to stay ahead of the competition. Here are some common SEM mistakes to avoid in order to ensure the success of your SEM campaigns.
Failure to Evaluate Performance
While you may believe your SEM campaigns are successful, you must remember to evaluate their effectiveness. This allows you to better manage your SEM expenses and campaigns.
Geo-Targeting in Incorrect Locations
Before launching your SEM campaign, double-check that the location is set to global. If this is the case, make sure to change it and only select the locations where you want your SEM campaign to appear.
