What is Search Engine Marketing SEM?
Search engine marketing (SEM) is the combined process of search engine optimisation (SEO) and pay-per-click advertising (PPC) on a particular website.Although the results of successful SEO and PPC campaigns will appear on the same page of search engine results, the behind-the-scenes processes to gain each result are quite different from each other.
SEO and PPC have apposing strengths and weaknesses. By combining the strengths of each of the two processes they become extremely powerful. In a perfect world, your new or existing web site would immediately gain a lot of free/cheap, relevant search engine traffic.
Let's look at the strengths of each in attaining this perfect world scenario:
1. Rate of increase in web site traffic over time
PPC = FastSEO = Much slower
Traffic to your web site from SEO takes anywhere from 3 to 18 months to gain momentum, however, and increase in traffic using PPC can be gained in a matter of hours, days or weeks, depending on how extensive a campaign is setup.
2. The cost-per-visitor to the web site
SEO = LowerPPC = Higher
The cost per visitor to your website from PPC will be higher than that from SEO, because you pay for every click on your PPC adverts, however, there is the time and effort involved with gaining the SEO rankings in the first place – there is no direct payment for each click.
3. Information about the most effective search phrases
PPC = Very usefulSEO = Less useful
Due to the shear volume of search phrases, it is possible to test different search phrases to determine which are the most effective in driving targeted traffic to your website.
It is much more difficult to target search phrases with SEO, so using PPC in the first instance to aid in making decisions on which search phrases are the most effective, you can then use these search phrases in the SEO on your web site.
4. Amount of clicks each type of result gets
SEO = HighPPC = Lower
Organic search engine results (left-hand, SEO-induced) see substantially more clicks from searchers than the PPC text ads (right-hand)do, this is due to their position on the page. More clicks equals more traffic, customers and profit!
The delight our clients experience when both the SEO and PPC efforts begin to mature, and their web site is ranked high on the 1st page of Google with both a natural (left-hand, SEO-induced) search engine result and with a Google AdWords text ad (right-hand, PPC) for the same search phrase, is what 1st Page Prophets strives for.
1stPageProphets has achieved excellent SEM results for our clients using its methodology PFSEMTM. Please contact us now in order for us to help you understand the amount of time and effort it will require to gain similar results for your own web site. Don't delay because our next month's new client work schedule is filling fast.
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Mike Bradley is founder of 1stPageProphets, who provide services to drive targeted, qualified buyers to your web site using natural and paid search engine results and ads. Find out what your web site requires to gain more buyers by going to http://www.1stpageprophets.com now.
"Working with 1st Page Prophets was a very positive experience. I have already agreed to get them on board for a subsequent project and recommended them to colleagues and friends. What more can you say?!?"
