Expert Advice: Search Engine Marketing Tips for Small Businesses

Search Engine Marketing, also known as SEM is often confused with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Both are very different terms, though you will see people using it interchangeably.

If you are in doubt make an internet search for SEM and you will see more writers discussing SEO rather than about SEM. If you want to optimize your website you will have to do both – SEM as well as SEO – SEM to be seen by your prospective visitors and SEO to be seen by your search engine and placed on top.

Now the difference must be apparent to you. But, why do SEM? Will not SEO bring in all the traffic to your site?

The Need for SEM

Remember that you are not the only person aspiring to be on the top of webpage ranking. There are millions of websites (and pages) vying with each other to be at the coveted place. That means intense competition.

You will have to create great contents that include articles and blogs, and audio and videos entailing huge expenditure. But how many websites do you think can afford this luxury? Very few, I will vouch for it.

If you cannot manage to be on the first or second page of search engine ranking, neither will your presence on the tenth or millionth page will matter, don’t forget that. Experiences show that visitors rarely go beyond the first couple pages.
 
Presuming you can manage to get at the top with your resources and money power, there is still no guarantee that it will translate into business for your website. Chances are, readers are simply browsing for pleasure, or are looking for some academic information which does not help you in anyway.

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They only way therefore are not to wait to be found, but to find readers, and that is what you will be doing in SEM. A simple example of SEM is placing ads on search engine result pages for a particular query, and lay in hope that he or she will click on it and come to your website, though you are not assured of it.

Varieties of SEM

Placing ads is but one of many techniques to SEM. Other techniques include, article submissions to directories, Press Release publishing, participating in social media like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook, and blog posting.

They can potential bring in visitors to your website rather directly, rather than through the circuitous search engine route. The advantage in taking this route is you create an interest in your visitors beforehand, and they know what to expect at your website. It means fewer disappointed visitors and better conversion ratio – the dream of website owners.

SEM Tips & Tricks

a) In any SEM endeavor, the first step is writing a blueprint to progress. The blueprint you write should detail the strategy you propose using. Like for example you can have a target for Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. At your web host keep track of your visitors. If they are from one of the social media in which you are working then put in greater efforts until it plateaus off.

b) Thoroughly research keywords and phrases related to your business and make a list. Pick out the top 10 from the list and optimize your content for these keywords. When you write your contents, remember not to write for you whole website; target each page instead. It will not only help you climb up the search engine pages, but will also help you bid for putting your ads in search engine result pages.

c) A mere presence in social media is no guarantee that visitors will end up on your web pages. Like the search engines themselves, social media is also crowded. You will need to do some optimization there too. Like creating great profiles and business pages. If you are passionate about Facebook, optimize your profile to Facebook Graph Search, the latest sensation in the Internet.

d) Yet another way in which you can drive traffic to your website is through email, though you will have to steer yourself clear from spamming. Though old in concept, you can trust emails to bring in the results you want. As an offline technique, try printing your websites address on every stationary in your office, letter heads and signature lines of your emails.

  Ethan Millers

About the Guest Author:

This is a guest post by Ethan Millers of bw9.com, a site that offers savings and current information on comcast internet plans, as well as other Comcast.com services.