How do you measure your SEM goals and objectives?

1 Define your SEM goals and objectives

Before you launch any SEM campaign, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and how you will measure it. Your SEM goals and objectives should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). For example, you might want to increase your website traffic by 20% in the next quarter, or generate 50 new leads per month from your paid ads. Your SEM goals and objectives should also align with your overall marketing and business strategy, and support your customer journey and value proposition.

2 Track your SEM metrics and KPIs

Once you have defined your SEM goals and objectives, you need to track the metrics and key performance indicators (KPIs) that reflect your progress and success. Metrics are the quantitative data that you collect from your SEM campaigns, such as impressions, clicks, conversions, cost, and revenue. KPIs are the metrics that directly relate to your SEM goals and objectives, such as click-through rate (CTR), cost per acquisition (CPA), return on ad spend (ROAS), and conversion rate. You can use various tools and platforms to track your SEM metrics and KPIs, such as Google Analytics, Google Ads, Bing Ads, and SEMrush.

3 Analyze your SEM results and insights

Tracking your SEM metrics and KPIs is not enough; you also need to analyze them to understand what is working and what is not, and why. You can use different methods and techniques to analyze your SEM results and insights, such as segmentation, attribution, testing, and benchmarking. Segmentation allows you to break down your data by different criteria, such as audience, device, location, and keyword. Attribution helps you assign credit to different touchpoints in your customer journey, such as organic search, paid search, and social media. Testing enables you to compare different versions of your SEM campaigns, such as ad copy, landing page, and bid strategy. Benchmarking allows you to compare your SEM performance with your competitors, industry standards, and best practices.

4 Identify your SEM strengths and weaknesses

Based on your SEM analysis, you can identify your SEM strengths and weaknesses, and determine where you need to optimize and improve your campaigns. Your SEM strengths are the aspects of your campaigns that are performing well and meeting or exceeding your goals and objectives. Your SEM weaknesses are the aspects of your campaigns that are underperforming and falling short of your goals and objectives. For example, you might find that your SEM strength is your high CTR, but your weakness is your low conversion rate. This means that you are attracting a lot of clicks, but not enough conversions.

5 Implement your SEM action plan

After identifying your SEM strengths and weaknesses, you need to implement your SEM action plan to optimize and improve your campaigns. Your SEM action plan should include the specific actions that you will take to address your weaknesses and leverage your strengths, as well as the expected outcomes and timelines. For example, you might decide to improve your conversion rate by testing different landing page designs, offers, and calls to action, and measure the impact on your CPA and ROAS. You should also monitor and evaluate your SEM action plan regularly, and adjust it as needed based on your feedback and results.

6 Learn from your SEM experience

The final step in measuring your SEM goals and objectives is to learn from your SEM experience and apply your learnings to your future campaigns. You should document and share your SEM findings, insights, and recommendations with your team and stakeholders, and use them to inform your SEM strategy and tactics. You should also celebrate your SEM achievements and recognize your efforts and contributions. By learning from your SEM experience, you can continuously improve your SEM skills and knowledge, and deliver better results and value for your business and customers.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?