Search Engine Marketing

A form of Internet marketing, search engine marketing is the practice of promoting websites and maximizing their visibility via search engines such as Google and Bing with paid advertising. Search engine marketing includes leveraging platforms such as Google Ads and paying for each visitor who clicks on the advertised, or promoted, placement within Google’s search results.

Search engine marketing is important for businesses because it provides exposure via search engine results to a target audience in the middle of their buying journey. Since most individuals conduct online research prior to making a purchase, businesses that not only provide good content but also promote that content via search engine marketing will likely connect with prospective buyers. When companies connect with prospective buyers by successfully incorporating a search engine marketing strategy, they can increase their revenue commensurate with their campaign spend.

The primary difference between SEM and SEO is that SEM involves paying for keywords and phrases that show up in search engine results, while SEO involves the placement of keywords and phrases throughout a website in order to have those sites rank higher in search engine results organically.

The cost for SEM services can vary widely. SEM consultants typically charge anywhere from $200 to $500 per month to handle activities such as setting up a simple search engine marketing campaign for the client to manage. More-costly SEM services can cost as much as $10,000 or more per month and may include development of an overall strategy as well as development and management of paid campaigns, campaign budgets, and more.