How can you use SEM to increase local foot traffic?

1 Choose the right keywords

Keywords are the words and phrases that your potential customers use to search for your products or services online. They are the foundation of your SEM strategy, as they determine when and where your ads will appear. To choose the right keywords, you need to understand your customers' intent, needs, and preferences. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Bing Keyword Research to find relevant and popular keywords for your industry and location. You should also include modifiers like "near me", "local", or your city name to target customers who are looking for nearby businesses.

2 Optimize your landing pages

Landing pages are the web pages that your customers see after they click on your ads. They are crucial for converting your visitors into leads or sales, as they provide more information and value about your offer. To optimize your landing pages, you need to make sure they are relevant, engaging, and clear. You should match your landing page content with your keywords and ad copy, and highlight your unique selling proposition, benefits, and testimonials. You should also include a strong call to action that encourages your visitors to take the next step, such as calling, booking, or visiting your store.

3 Set your location and budget

Location and budget are two important factors that affect your SEM performance and return on investment. You need to set your location to target customers who are within your service area or who are likely to visit your store. You can use geo-targeting options on Google Ads or Bing Ads to specify the regions, cities, or zip codes where you want your ads to show. You can also use location extensions to display your address, phone number, and map directions on your ads. Budget is the amount of money you are willing to spend on your SEM campaign. You need to set your budget based on your goals, competition, and profit margin. You can use bidding strategies like cost-per-click (CPC) or cost-per-acquisition (CPA) to control how much you pay for each click or conversion.

4 Track and measure your results

Tracking and measuring your results is essential for evaluating and improving your SEM campaign. You need to use tools like Google Analytics or Bing Webmaster Tools to monitor your key performance indicators (KPIs), such as impressions, clicks, conversions, and cost. You should also use conversion tracking to measure how many customers completed a desired action after clicking on your ads, such as filling out a form, making a purchase, or visiting your store. You should analyze your data regularly and make adjustments to your keywords, landing pages, location, and budget to optimize your SEM campaign and increase your local foot traffic.

5 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?