Search Engine Marketing is a relatively new form of Internet advertising which involves the marketing of sites by raising their visibility in search engine result pages (SERPs) primarily via paid advertising. It is one of the fastest growing forms of online marketing and has seen a marked increase in the last few years. This form of marketing is generally thought to be one of the most effective methods for attracting new traffic to sites.
Search Engine Marketing is a cost per click (SEM) type of advertising, which means that the advertiser only pays for clicks (impressions) that appear on a SERP. The SEM format of advertising is much like banner advertising, the only difference being that text is not displayed in a picture format. The text is placed next to the sponsored links, making it more visible to users when they search for related products or information. The higher the visibility of the sponsored links, the greater the amount of exposure the advertiser receives. SEM is normally used in conjunction with pay per click (PPC), which means that the same targeted customers who clicked on the SEM links are then targeted with similar advertisements.
The goal of SEM is to raise the visibility of the site, so that other potential customers will see the advertised links. The method of payment for search engine marketing can vary, though most companies choose to pay per click. This means that as visitors click on the ads, they will be charged a fee.
Pay per click is an effective and affordable way to advertise on the internet. As SEM is becoming more popular, search engine marketing companies have started offering paid inclusion, in which targeted advertisers are given more exposure through paid inclusion links within the search results. Paid inclusion offers advertisers increased exposure, but at a cost.
Search Engine Marketing campaigns are very diverse, and include pay per click campaigns, where the advertiser only pays when traffic is generated, to social media marketing, where text advertising and banner advertising are used. These techniques combine to improve the online marketing strategy. Online marketing companies offer a wide range of services to help their client companies achieve success in this competitive industry. Online marketing companies are a great resource for online businesses to grow and succeed.
When it comes to pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, the cost per click can range from as little as two pennies per click to a maximum of nine dollars per click. The cost per thousand impressions can range from ten cents to four cents. A campaign could last up to six months and at some agencies can be contracted for as long as twelve months. A company may also have to pay for the use of a unique or duplicate domain name, which can range from ten to twenty dollars. Companies may also have to pay for the cost of monitoring and maintaining their PPC campaigns.
Social media marketing is also used by many companies, although this type of online marketing tends to be more expensive, with prices ranging from as little as two cents per user during peak hours to as much as nine dollars per user during off-peak hours. Social marketing tends to appeal to a younger audience than other types of search marketing, with the likes of Facebook, Twitter and MySpace advertising commonly available to younger people. Companies may also have to pay for the use of their website’s domain name and email address. SMM is a very effective way for businesses to attract new customers and generate interest in current customers.
Search engine optimization is a combination of many different optimization techniques, including pay-per-click, content marketing, search engine optimization, link building, blog optimization and Yahoo! Answers. Companies may use any or all of these optimization techniques, depending on the needs of the company. Companies need to understand that search engines will continue to evolve with increased focus on quality content and user experience, therefore companies must work to remain on top of the trends and remain in contact with their potential customers and provide useful and relevant solutions to their customers’ needs.