Ranking high in organic search is a great way to ensure relevant traffic reaches your website. But ranking organically can take ages, and in today’s world of instant gratification, who has time to wait? Luckily, search engine marketing can help you climb through the ranks, virtually overnight.
The Magic of Search Engine Marketing
Search engine marketing (SEM) provides a perfect solution for the Veruca Salts of the business world. When you want results and you want them now, you pay to play using pay-per-click advertising.
Here’s how it works…
You, and others like you, bid on popular keywords and phrases. When consumers search for those keywords, their results will include paid advertisements from the most qualified bidders.
Ads are clearly labeled in the results and usually appear right at the top of the page. Your ad can be text-based or take a more visual approach; that’s up to you.
But the important thing is when your ad appears, it’s because a consumer specifically searched for your keywords. That puts you in the right place at the right time — in front of a potential buyer.
And here’s the kicker…
You only pay when someone clicks through the ad to reach your landing page!
Money Isn’t Everything
Now, if you’re a small business owner who focuses on local traffic, buying your way to the top of the search results may sound like a pipe dream. You just don’t have the budget.
But hear us out…
While a big budget can increase your odds of success in search engine marketing, it’s not the only way to gain exposure. Remember, each time someone searches for your keywords, Google goes into auction mode. Sure, the money is considered, but so is the quality and relevance of your ad.
If your advertisements carry a higher quality score, your ad rank may help you earn a position in search results despite having a lower max bid than some of your competitors.
Why?
Because Google, rather than take the money and run, prefers to present high quality advertisements (value) to their users. Thus, when it comes to search engine marketing, quality trumps dollar signs almost every time.
Bonus Tip: Just because you do business locally doesn’t mean you should write off search engine marketing as a frivolous extra. Local prospects use Google, too. And if you’re not there to greet them, you’d better believe one of your local competitors will be!
Benefits of Search Engine Marketing
To sum up, here’s why search engine marketing matters to you.
- It gets you to the top of the search results while you wait for organic methods to take hold.
- Search engine marketing gives you a fighting chance for keywords that are hard to rank for organically.
- Provides a lead-generating avenue! Plus, targeted ads mean more qualified traffic and increased conversions.
