Search Marketing

Search engine marketing, (SEM), is a form of Internet marketing that seeks to promote websites by increasing their visibility in search engine result pages (SERPs) through the use of, paid placement, contextual advertising, and paid inclusion. Search engine optimization (SEO) "optimizes" website pages to achieve a higher ranking in search results by selecting specific keywords associated with the website. SEM uses various means of marketing a website to increase its relevance in search engine results.

SEM Plan

Through trial and error you will be able to see how SEM drives highly targeted visitors to your online exhibitions. The following are the steps to a successful SEM plan:

Research your target audience.

Set your online goals and key performance indicators.

Build an initial list of important keywords that represent your current and most relevant content and potential content.

Validate your keywords by testing and refining them with your keyword selector tools such as Yahoo Keyword Selector, Google Keyword Selector, Google Trends and Keyword Discovery.

Check your current ranking.

Optimise the website by improving your web design, architecture and web page content.
Pursue link-building and partnerships.

Colonize the Web by publishing and circulating it in wiki, blogs, and video and picture sites(e.g. Flickr and Youtube).

Get in the news such as Google News with RSS feeds.

Install good tracking software, and track and analyze your performance for better results.

What Is SEM / Search Engine Marketing?

SEM stands for “search engine marketing.” It is the process of gaining traffic from or visibility on search engines. The phrase is also sometimes shortened to “search marketing.”

SEM is an umbrella term that covers two broad areas:

Gaining traffic through free SEO efforts

Gaining traffic through paid search advertising

Some people consider SEM to mean gaining traffic solely through paid ads. Our article, Does SEM = SEO + CPC Still Add Up?, explains this split in more depth. Here at Search Engine Land, we stick with the broader definition.

For those who want to learn more about either SEO or paid search, see our guides below:

What Is PPC, CPC & Paid Search Marketing

What Is SEO / Search Engine Optimization?

For more about the broader medium of search marketing, read on!

Search Marketing Advice At Search Engine Land

Here at Search Engine Land, we provide search marketing advice and information in a variety of ways:

How To: SEM is our section devoted to practical tips and tactics about search marketing in general.

Search Engine Land Columns are where we publish a number of regular columns on various aspects of search marketing, including:

Brand Aid
Conversion Science
In House
In The Trenches
Just Behave
Small Is Beautiful
Strictly Business