When you consider many changes taking place on the internet and how we interact with it there is no way to NOT be impressed. This is especially so when you consider the relatively short time in which it has happened. Take online marketing for example. This field really got started in the 90s and has boomed into a ginormous industry. Digital marketing has been fully embraced by so many businesses that it would be almost impossible
imagining it going away short of the internet going down permanently.
That being said, search engine marketing or SEM as it is also known has become a must. Many business owners have begun to find that SEM trumps old fashioned methods of marketing every time. Rather than resorting to simple print, television, or radio advertising more dollars are being spent on internet ads. Sites like Facebook and LinkedIn offer paid advertising that can be targeted toward your desired audience. Organic search engine results help to supplement paid online advertising in a huge way by drawing more views to products and services being offered.
Search engine optimization or SEO has been used as a means of encouraging site visits and helps to draw those who are looking for specific terms when searching the web. PPC or pay-per-click campaigns can also help to draw traffic. Unlike typical SEO, PPC encourages users to click on various ads in order to view products or services. It is important to remember however that SEM and SEO or PPC are entirely different beasts. SEM hinges on the specific ability to reach potential clients or customers while SEO and PPC are tools used to achieve SEM.
Just imagine, of the billions of people who use the internet more than 86% complete purchases online. Even more will take time to research a company’s products or services before making a purchasing decision. Whether they check for online reviews, company stats, or other such input they will find and use the info when trying to make the decision to buy. Also keep in mind, an outstanding website is just the beginning. Lacking proper SEO you will typically find a lack of traffic as well. Properly executed SEO can help to boost your site ranking meaning you will show up much higher when people search for your particular niche.
In the past, methods called Black Hat SEO were available that would allow one to game the system thereby achieving higher ranking. Today however search engines like Google have grown even savvier and have instituted more and more methods of weeding out these cheats and tricks. PPC on the other hand involve paying for a set amount that is charged each time the sales banner is clicked. The biggest issue facing PPC campaigns is the fact that they can get rather spendy.
No matter which method you choose you can bet that a strong SEM campaign will involve one or both methods. To this end, having a skilled and experienced digital agency can help to design the SEM campaign best suited to your needs.