How can you use SEM to build your brand's awareness?

Thinking about SEM from the perspective of your audience is important. Is your audience already familiar with what you do, or are you trying to reach a new audience? Are you looking to grow your market share, or seeking to engage current clients? What words are your prospects using when they describe their challenges and how can you talk about your goods and services in a way that is unique, and that will set you apart from your competition.

It's easy to get overwhelmed by competitors' branding strategies. Start by conducting thorough user interviews to understand your customers' pain points and identify gaps in the market. At the end of the day, all strategies will work if they address what users want to achieve with your product or service. Then map the competitors strategies to redefine your product's benefits, strengths, and POD (Point of Difference).

Create several positive and informative accounts (social media, web pages, product reviews) that directly relate to your brand. Taking advantage of Google/Bing search algorithms in this manner causes search results regarding your brand to manifest on the first page of results. Most people never click past the first page of results. Of course you can always leverage individual search engine's paid advertisement features for you to show up at the top of results but this is just as effective without the cost. Hope this helps!

This involves strategic approaches like content optimization with relevant keywords, crafting compelling copy that highlights unique selling points. Utilize ad extensions, geotargeting, and demographic targeting for precision. Implement remarketing to re-engage past visitors, extending reach through the Google Display Network and video advertising. Ensure landing pages are user-friendly and optimize ad schedules for peak audience activity. Monitor campaign performance through analytics, conducting testing for continuous improvement. Integrate SEM with social media efforts for a cohesive online presence. Analyze competitor strategies to position your brand uniquely in the market.

Set clear objectives for brand awareness using SEM. Data-driven goals, such as increasing website traffic by 30% in three months, ensure a measurable focus for AI-powered SEM strategies.

Some aspects of SEO that are often neglected: Mobile first: A mobile-responsive website is a necessity as Google indexes the mobile version of a website first. Yet, we still find pages that pose a challenge to mobile users. Page load speed: every second counts! A delay can significantly increase bounce rates and impact your ranking. In this context: check your images as they can slow down the page speed. Aim for quality backlinks: a few high-quality backlinks from trusted sites are more valuable than many low-quality ones.

The selection of keywords in SEM is a crucial step. It's not just about choosing high-traffic keywords; it's about finding the right ones that align with your brand and your audience's search intent. To boost brand awareness, initially consider using broader keywords that are relevant to your industry. This increases the likelihood of your ads being seen by a wider audience. Brand-specific Keywords: Include keywords that are directly related to your brand. This ensures that when people search for your brand or products specifically, your ads appear. Competitor Keywords: Consider using your competitors' brand names as keywords. This can be a strategic way to introduce your brand to an audience already interested in your industry.

Consider the human experience when you create your SEM campaign. I like to think of a Venn diagram with a high-volume keyword cluster on one side, and a specific way that your solution can help on the other. With SEM, people want an answer—not a bait and switch headline to a page about your product. Make sure your campaign has two basic elements: the keywords match your definition (SEMRush shows you other pages that rank for the terms as a good litmus test) and make sure you have something valuable to provide, such as a playbook, guide, or template.

Leverage AI analytics to identify high-volume, relevant keywords. Tools like Google Keyword Planner and AI-driven insights from LinkedIn community discussions aid in selecting optimal keywords aligned with brand messaging.

These are essential pieces to choosing the right keywords to solve this puzzle: 1) Research your competitors. Focus on just one top competitor (if you face too much stakeholder pressure, then maybe look at two) 2) Look for SEO words that apply to your proposition 3) Analyze SEMs - it gives you insights into engagement, price, etc. It is best to narrow your initial focus on 5-10 keywords. Plan your strategy and monitor progress regularly to be agile to adjust plans. This proactive approach ensures optimized marketing efforts.

Craft ad copy that resonates with your audience. AI sentiment analysis and LinkedIn community feedback help tailor compelling content, ensuring ad messaging aligns with brand values and appeals to target demographics.

Clearly communicate what sets your product or service apart. Emphasize benefits and advantages over competitors. Create curiosity, urgency and with that awareness.

Make something that people would want to be clicking on. You’ve already got them there with the right keywords. Tease your story. Highlight your brand or product name and give them the curiosity, the hook, to encourage them to take action and click. I have found action words, non-cliché of course, can help do this.

Absolutely, your ad copy serves as a crucial introduction to your brand. It's essential to craft a message that resonates with your audience, emphasizes your unique value, and prompts action. Incorporating emotional triggers and maintaining clarity and consistency in your brand voice enhance the effectiveness of your ad copy. Remember, a compelling narrative can significantly impact customer engagement and conversion.

Craft ad copy that not only conveys your brand's value proposition but also resonates with your target audience. My team and I found that highlighting unique selling points (USPs) in ad copy significantly improved CTR and brand recognition.

Given the refined focus on 5-10 keywords, strategize your landing page SEO: - Assess your current top keywords. - Make deliberate choices on retaining or discarding keywords. - Tailor landing page content to emphasize the growth-targeted keywords. - If a keyword performs exceptionally, assess its relevance and align it with your strategy; don't overlook its potential. Monitor progress to glean insights and incorporate best practices into your evolving design.

Communication at the discovery platform and the landing page needs to be connected. Show the relevant information to the audience who has come to the page on certain requirements. If you are capturing details, keep it visible but give the option for the client to fill little later.

Employ AI-driven tools to optimize landing pages. Utilize A/B testing and AI-powered heatmaps to analyze user behavior, enhancing landing page elements based on data insights gathered from AI algorithms.

Landing pages are a critical extension of your brand awareness strategy. Ensuring alignment with ad copy and keywords, optimizing for speed and usability, and incorporating consistent branding elements contribute to a seamless and compelling user experience. A well-crafted landing page enhances engagement, reduces bounce rates, and reinforces your brand identity. It's a valuable touchpoint to deliver the information and value promised in your ad campaign.

Test. Test. and Test. Human behavior is complex. It isn't always clear why people resonate with one version over another. So use well-structured A/B tests and multi-variant tests (eventually) to narrow in on what works and what doesn't.

Utilize AI-powered analytics tools to track SEM performance metrics. LinkedIn community insights and AI algorithms provide data-driven feedback to continuously refine strategies, improving CTR, engagement, and brand recall.

If you had someone click on an ad, that’s only HALF the story you should be evaluating to improve performance of your ads. Upper-funnel, or on-platform metrics like Cost-Per-Click, Cost-Per-Aquisition and overall impressions give you the sense of how well an add is performing. What I love to do is add in the Bounce Rate metric from Google Analytics. This tells you how the “experience” with your brand’s website is AFTER the click. If you have a Bounce Rate above 80-90%, it’s a sign to optimize. A great ad will get someone to the site, a great website experience will help them explore and convert!

SEM also gives you the ability to retarget and reconnect with individuals who have visited your website or engaged with your brand online. Utilize retargeting ads to reinforce brand awareness, cultivate interest, and prompt them to take further action.

Explore AI-driven ad personalization for tailored user experiences. Utilize machine learning algorithms to dynamically adjust ad content, fostering stronger connections and boosting brand recall among targeted audiences.

It really depends on so many factors but for us, geotargeting ads and retargeting has helped improve our SEM. Not the mention, it’s easier on the pocketbook :)

It’s also important to implement your remarketing strategies to target users who have previously interacted with your brand. This can help reinforce brand awareness and encourage conversions by reminding users of your products or services.

Structuring groups of ads that are linked to keywords or audience attributes can make your campaign more successful than a generic ad with every possible combination of words. In all of these groups, it is important to highlight what makes you different from the competition.