Search engine marketing (SEM) is the process of using paid ads to reach potential customers on search engines like Google and Bing. SEM can help you increase your visibility, traffic, conversions, and revenue online. But how can you develop a comprehensive SEM strategy that aligns with your goals and budget? Here are some steps to follow:
Before you launch any SEM campaign, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve. Do you want to generate more leads, sales, sign-ups, downloads, or brand awareness? How will you measure your success and return on investment (ROI)? What are your key performance indicators (KPIs) and how will you track them? Having specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) objectives will help you plan and optimize your SEM strategy.
Decide what you want from online ads like more sales or brand awareness. Make specific goals like selling 100 gadgets in a month and see if it's working. It's like having a to-do list for your ads
Keywords are the words and phrases that your target audience uses 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 on the search engine results pages (SERPs). To find the best keywords for your SEM campaign, you need to do some research. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Moz to discover relevant, popular, and competitive keywords in your niche. You also need to understand the search intent behind each keyword, which is the goal or problem that the user wants to solve with their query. For example, someone searching for "best pizza near me" has a different intent than someone searching for "how to make pizza dough". You should choose keywords that match the intent and stage of your buyer's journey.
Think about the words people use to find products like yours on the internet Those are your keywords they're like the secret recipe for making your ads show up when someone searches tools like google keyword planner help you find the right words sort of like choosing the perfect ingredients for a recipe Also know what people want when they type those words if someone searches for "coolest sneakers," they're after different things than someone typing "how to tie shoelaces" so, pick keywords that match what your customers are looking for just like choosing the right flavor for your audience
Once you have a list of keywords, you need to organize them into logical groups based on their similarity, relevance, and intent. This will help you create more focused and effective ads and landing pages for each group. You can use tools like Google Ads Editor or Microsoft Advertising Editor to create and manage your keyword groups. You should also use keyword match types, which are settings that control how closely your keywords need to match the user's query to trigger your ads. There are four main match types: broad, phrase, exact, and negative. Each match type has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on your goals and budget. You should use a combination of match types to balance your reach and relevance.
Once you know your keywords group them based on what makes sense like putting similar things togetherit's like organizing your clothes socks in one drawer, shirts in another this helps you make ads and pages that really fit each group Tools such as google ads editor help organize them use match types (broad, phrase, exact, negative) to control how closely they match user searches it's like picking the right tool for the job ensuring your ads reach the right people without overspending
There are many ways to organize keywords, and each client/campaign may require a different structure/strategy. Be creative! Here are 2 ways I've organized keywords in the past: Marketing Funnel - Consider what the audience may have in mind when searching for any keyword. Are they still in the awareness phase, or are they aware of an issue and are researching which solution may be right for them (consideration)? Maybe the keyword suggests they're ready to make a purchase/decision. Group keywords accordingly. Audience-based - If you have multiple target audiences with different needs, challenges, etc., consider grouping keywords accordingly. This allows you to match keywords to ad copy and landing pages for specific audiences.
Your ads are the first impression that your potential customers will have of your business on the SERPs, so it's important to write compelling and persuasive ads that stand out from the competition and entice users to click. Your ads should include a headline with your main keyword, a description highlighting your unique value proposition and benefits, a display URL matching your landing page, a call to action telling users what to do next, and extensions providing additional information or features. Additionally, you should follow the best practices and guidelines of the search engine platform you are using and test different versions of your ads to optimize performance.
If you're writing search ad copy, have a good understanding of how "pinned" headlines and descriptions work within Responsive Search Ads. Otherwise, be sure to familiarize yourself with any other features or requirements that come with the specific channel/ad format for which you are writing.
Your landing pages are the web pages that your users will land on after clicking on your ads. They are the final step of your SEM strategy, as they are where you can convert your visitors into customers. Your landing pages should be relevant, consistent, and engaging. They should match the keyword, ad, and intent that brought the user to your site. They should also have a clear and prominent headline, a compelling copy, an attractive design, and a strong call to action. You should also optimize your landing pages for speed, usability, and conversion. You can use tools like Google Analytics, Google Optimize, or Unbounce to measure and improve your landing page performance.
The last step of your SEM strategy is to monitor and optimize your results. You need to track and analyze your data and metrics, such as impressions, clicks, conversions, cost, and ROI. You can use tools like Google Ads, Microsoft Advertising, or Google Data Studio to access and visualize your data. You should also use tools like Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools to check your site's health and performance on the search engines. You should also conduct regular audits and experiments to identify and fix any issues or opportunities for improvement. You should also keep up with the latest trends and best practices in SEM, as the search engines are constantly evolving and updating their algorithms and features.
Get familiar with search term reports, and bid optimizations. This includes understanding the likely outcomes of each adjustment you make. For example, if you lower a manual CPC bid for an ad group, what affect do you expect this will have on that ad group? on the entire campaign? Also, think about the KPIs you're using to make optimization decisions. Are you basing an ad group level bid change because of a specific keyword's CTR? Are you making changes to a keyword/ad/ad group/campaign that has statistically significant data? Asking these questions and understanding the entire SEM "ecosystem" will help you maximize your optimization efforts while avoiding campaign mismanagement.