Whenever we discuss marketing strategy with new partners, we often suggest that “your business should use Search Engine Marketing”.
Sometimes we get these responses:
“We've tried it but didn’t really see results”
“We can’t tell if it’s working from the reports we get.” or “We’re not getting reports at all.”
“We don’t know how much of our budget is going to Google, and how much is being pocketed.”
All acceptable reasons to be skeptical about Search Engine Marketing (SEM).
But, did you know:
- In 2021, search advertising spending in the United States amounted to 84.7 billion U.S. dollars, while spending on mobile search advertising continues to accelerate as consumers shop on their smartphones more vigorously than ever.
- On-site search ads are the most popular ad format purchased via retail media networks.
- 38% of U.S. consumers trust search engine advertising.
That’s why we recommend SEM to all of our partners, especially if they need leads yesterday.
Whether you’re a business that's new to marketing or an established company trying to decide if SEM is worth another shot, in this quick article we’ll break down why your business should use SEM, step-by-step.
- What is Search Engine Marketing?
- Why Your Business Should Use Search Engine Marketing?
- Search Engine Marketing The Mean Joe Way
What is Search Engine Marketing?
According to American CRM Software developer Hubspot,
“SEM, or search engine marketing, is using paid advertising to ensure that your business's products or services are visible in search engine results pages (SERPs). When a user types in a certain keyword, SEM enables your business to appear as a result for that search query.”
Essentially, when you’re searching for a product or service on search engines such as Google or Bing the ad that appears on the top of the search page is the result of SEM.
Why Your Business Should Use Search Engine Marketing
We know what SEM is, how it works, and that it’s very popular across industries, but why should your business add it into your marketing mix?
Reach Your Target Customers
According to 99 Firms, 46% of all Google searches are linked to something local.
That means most people are looking to interact with credible local businesses when they conduct an online search.
Of those who do conduct a local search, 88% visit or call a store within 24 hours, and 18% of these searches lead to a purchase.
Buy utilizing SEM you can position your business as the most favorable option to someone doing a local search for your products or services, earning not only that sale, but valuable credibility within your community.
Attract Warm Leads
Some of our partners come from the home improvement industry.
They've shared the struggles of working with lead aggregators and the competition they create.
Not only do lead aggregators force you into immediate competition with other companies over a lead, the customer on the other end, being bombarded with high pressure sales calls, might not be anywhere near the buying stage.
With SEM, however, you’re in control of who sees your ads, the types of people they attract, and where they are in the sales process.
Furthermore, search engines enable you to target people who are actively searching for businesses in your industry, and exclude everyone else.
That way you’re less likely to spend money advertising to someone who isn’t a potential customer, and more likely to earn the business of someone interested in your products and services.
See Immediate Results
While Search Engine Optimization(SEO) is more of a long-term marketing strategy and investment, SEM is ideal if you want to start attracting qualified leads fast.
Not only does the flexibility of digital ad platforms like Google Ads make it simple to create a campaign, but it’s easy to make adjustments compared to a more rigid like a media buy.
If you’re looking to attract interested customers to your business fast, SEM marketing is worth the investment.
Access Detailed Reporting
SEM Marketing Platforms provide detailed reporting metrics for you to track the customer’s journey all the way to purchase.
Google Ads, for example, can generate reports for everything from Ad Performance, to Keyword Cost, to which zip codes generate the most leads.
When paired with custom tagging metrics from Google Tag Manager, and Website Performance Data from Google Analytics, you can track which ads are driving what actions on your website and adjust your offers or strategy accordingly.
Search Engine Marketing The Mean Joe Way
At Mean Joe Advertising, we understand that many local businesses are operating on low margins. You can’t pay for advertising that doesn’t work, nor should you.
That’s why the SEM experts that make up our digital team provide full performance transparency, sharing potential SEM Lead Gen and Cost as forecasted by search engines such as google.
If you’re looking to add SEM to your marketing mix, or improve your existing SEM campaigns, let’s set up some time to chat.