What is Search Engine Marketing and Why Do I Need It?

What is Search Engine Marketing and Why Do I Need It?

Search engine marketing is one of the most important concepts that you can implement into your website. Without it, your website can be lost in cyberspace with little to no chance of it ever being seen by potential customers and clients. But what exactly is search engine marketing and why do you need it for your website?

Search engine marketing is a term that refers to several aspects of getting your website noticed. One of the most common aspects of search engine marketing is called search engine optimization. This phrase refers to the content and articles that get posted on your website. When you have content that is rich in keywords that are relevant to your website, there is a better chance of it being “picked up” or noticed by the major search engines. The more search engine optimization you have done on your website, the higher it is going to be in the search results so your potential customers will see it right away. Most people who surf the web for a service or product that they need won’t search past the first couple pages of results. So if your website is below that, you are virtually invisible to the people who need your products and services.

But search engine marketing is much more than that. SEM also refers to other things for your website like banner ads and contextual advertisements. The most common form of SEM, however, is PPC, or Pay Per Click. This is a form of advertising that web users have seen probably thousands of times during their surfing. When you search for a particular phrase, such as “blue blankets,” you will see a list of results on the main part of the page but you will also see a slew of advertisements on the right side of the page. These ads are paid for by other advertisers and they are placed there so they show up when people search for certain keywords relating to the ad. This is one of the best ways to get your website noticed because it can occur from the very first day you set up your website.  PPC utilized a set budget, and each of those ads cost depends on the market you are advertising.  The higher the price; the more advertisers or competition you’ll have.  PPC may be great for low competition niches where a small budget can go a long way.  The more expensive your keyword; the more it will cost.

When you choose a SEM company, make sure they specialize in SEO and PPC methods so you can get your website to the top of the search engine results every time someone searches for the products and services that you offer.  Be sure to contact the SEO and search engine specialists at 314media before beginning your next online or search engine marketing campaign.