Search engine marketing definition: What are search engine marketing services (SEM) and what can they do for you?

Search engine marketing definition: SEM is the art and science of optimizing a site so that it earns more traffic from the search engines. A search engine is a website, such as Google.com, Yahoo.com or Live.com (MSN), that helps you find other websites. SEM arenas include:

• Organic or natural optimization : Practiced by addressing both internal and external elements of a website to make it and its contents highly relevant for search engines and human prospects. Typically, the higher a site ranks in the organic listings, the more prospects will see and visit that site.
• Paid placement or Pay Per Click Services (PPC) : An auction-based pricing model where advertisers bid on keywords their target markets are likely to use as search terms when looking for a product, service or information. With pay per click services, advertisers only pay when a user clicks on their ad to visit their website.
• Paid Inclusion : A product where the search engines charge fees to include a website or portion of a website in their search index, or inventory of websites. This paid inclusion product is provided by most search engine companies with the exception of Google.

Why do you need search engine marketing services?

• Over 9 billion searches were performed via search engines in the US in 2007.
• Nearly 80% of people searching for information online type phrases into a search engine’s search box. Google alone fields over 91 million searches – per day! How much of that traffic do you want?
• In approximately 50% of online searches, your prospect selects a company found on the first or second search engine results pages (SERPs). So, if your company is not found in the first 10 to 20 results, you’ve already lost out on at least 50% of your potential business – while your competitors, who are highly ranked, are enjoying a lion’s share of the traffic.
• Online sales are growing by at least 20% compared to the same time last year, with expectations of over $184 billion for 2008.
• Bottom line – when a prospect performs a search via a search engine, do they find you or a competitor? Search engine marketing services are your ticket to getting found.

How do you make search engine marketing services work for you?

Key elements for any successful effort with search engine marketing services include:

1. Keyphrase Research : To successfully drive targeted traffic to your web site, you and your customer must speak the exact same language. Keyphrase research uncovers the phrases your prospects are typing into the search boxes on search engines.
2. Copyediting / Copywriting : Once you’ve discovered the keyphrases that your prospects are using, then those keyphrases are worked into the text on your web pages in a way that will work for both the search engines and your human prospects.

• Popularity / Inbound Link Building Services : Solicit and earn valuable inbound links, as this is an indication to Google that your site is popular, relevant and valued by others, and use link building services to help the search engines understand better where your site fits into the web and what you offer.
• Buzz Marketing: Creating positive buzz about your company, executives and products will not only drive traffic and inbound links, but it will help to fill up the SERPs with positive items, pushing down any negative listings, and supporting your Online Reputation Management (ORM). It’s important to make sure that, when prospective partners, clients and customers search on your brand and key people and products, you put your best face forward – and buzz marketing can help you do just that.
• Best Practices Web Development & Architecture: Make sure your website is built in a way that makes it possible and easy for the search engines to quickly find, index and understand your content.
• Search Engine Marketing Reporting for Accountability: Conduct baseline then regular search engine marketing reporting, so that you can see the impact of the search engine marketing services and show positive ROI within your business.

And don’t forget… While it is critical to rank well with the search engines, you must never forget it is the human customer that matters – search engines don’t buy your products, services or click on your advertisements; people do. Search engine marketing services is an umbrella term for the myriad of strategies, tools and techniques that help you meet your business objectives and bring targeted visitors to your website. A personalized blend of search engine marketing services and strategies is necessary to achieve your online goals and overall business objectives.