Are you looking for an effective strategy to make the most of your marketing spend and reach out to qualified customers for your Chicago business? Then look no further than search engine marketing (SEM). SEM is a proven online marketing strategy that is trusted by millions of Internet-savvy companies around the world. Read on to learn how exactly it works.
What is SEM?
SEM is an online marketing strategy that effectively gets quick visibility for a business in the search engine result pages (SERPs).
When a user searches for a keyword in a search engine like Google or Bing, they see two types of results:
- Organic: These are (free) results that appear on the SERPs due to their relevance to the user’s keyword.
- Paid: These are paid advertisements that show up at the top and bottom of search engine results pages.
Through SEM, your business can bid to get featured in these paid search results.
How do paid ads work?
You can place paid ads on SEM platforms such as Google Ads (formerly known as Google AdWords) and Bing Ads to reach out to people who are the target demographic for your Chicago business. Search engines auction these premium ad spaces, and if your business is interested in featuring your ads here, you can contact an SEM agency in Chicago, Illinois, and bid for these ad spots.
The SEM process is as follows:
- The first step is to create a compelling ad copy. An SEM ad features a headline, description lines, and a URL to the web page containing information pertaining to what is being advertised. When creating your paid ad, you must choose the relevant keywords to which the ads will be linked. The best part of this is that you can narrow down your target audience based on their age, gender, location, interests, and more. Ads will not show to people who do not fall into your defined demographic.
- When people search for any of the keywords you bid on, the auction is set in motion. The quality of the ads, the bid amounts, and the relevance to the search term are among some of the parameters considered by the search engines to determine which ads will be shown before the others.
- Once your ad is shown and an interested user clicks on the link, they will be redirected to a landing page. They can then perform any action that will get you closer to your marketing goals (for example, making the purchase or signing up for a newsletter). It is worth noting that the user may also leave the page without performing any action. So, you must understand that running a paid search campaign does not guarantee
Greater control over ad spends: Pay per Click.
One of the most compelling reasons for using SEM is its flexible payment models. The most common payment model is called Cost per Click (CPC) or Pay per Click (PPC). When you are running PPC ads, you only pay when a user clicks on your ad and not whenever it is shown to someone. This can help you get the most bang for your marketing buck as only users interested in your ad will click on it.
Looking for a Top-Rated SEM Agency in Chicago, Illinois?
At Digital Destination, our team of online marketing experts can help your business position itself in front of your target market and ahead of the competition. With our SEM services in Chicago, Illinois, we can help you optimize your profitability by driving more quality traffic to your business. Contact us to request a free quote!