Do’s and Don’ts of Search Engine Marketing

Now, more than ever, it’s important to have a strong internet presence. Depending on your budget and experience, there are different avenues to pursue that will help to keep your business front of mind.

For example, Google ads and PPC marketing effectively manage campaigns and target your adverts. Search engine marketing (SEM) offers a specific approach to boosting your brand online.

Investing in elite search engine marketing can offer a great return on investment. However, you need to follow certain guidelines to maximize the benefits of search engine marketing and these search engine marketing tips will help.

Do the Following With SEM

There are a few key steps to follow when implementing an SEM strategy to ensure that you get the best results.

Do Conduct Specific Keyword Research

Search engine marketing is a focused approach to online marketing, making sure that your website appears at the top of the search engine results page for certain relevant keywords through paid methods.

Conducting keyword research ensures that you choose the best keywords for your website while matching user intent.

Avoid broad keywords which are vague in intention. Instead, use keyword research tools to choose the best keywords to drive users to your website (and convert them into paying customers).

Do Rely on the Experts

Online trends are constantly changing, and SEM can be very technical at times. Outsourcing to a reliable search engine marketing agency frees up your time to focus on business growth, client relations, etc.

Investing in managed search engine marketing services is a great solution for team expansion, allowing you to acquire coveted skills without the financial commitment of a full-time employee. Handing the SEM responsibility to a digital marketing agency will ensure that the job is done properly, without the stress!

Do Take Advantage of Local SEO

Depending on the nature of your business, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can be a fantastic way to geo-target your online marketing efforts and have you showing up in organic search results. Local SEO is an essential part of the overall SEM strategy. It gives your business a competitive edge and is a cost-effective marketing technique.

As an added bonus, local SEO has the potential to boost your website’s organic rankings and prioritize your business in terms of relevance, proximity, and prominence.

Don’t Do the Following With SEM

Do you want to make the most of your SEM budget and your presence on the Google digital marketing network? Keep the following in mind!

Don’t Forget Strategy

Just like any marketing effort, a well-thought-out SEM strategy is essential for optimized results. The end goal should be clearly defined and the metrics should be frequently measured.

A streamlined strategy helps the team to stay on track when creating content and measure progress along the way. Rather than shooting in the dark, an SEM strategy offers a clearly illuminated target. An SEM strategy should have reference to keyword intent, keyword cost, keyword volume, campaign structure, copy that prompts action and more!

Don’t Neglect Analytics

SEM follows a circular structure rather than a linear plan. Whenever a SEM strategy is put in motion, it’s important to keep coming back to analytics and gaining insight for improvement. Access to data and insights are major benefits of paid digital marketing, and they should be used for future advantage.

Data allows you to track the success of your SEM marketing efforts and find room for improvement. Dissecting the data will offer insight to how your marketing strategy is working, helping you to make actionable and informed decisions moving forward.

Don’t Ignore the Competition

Competition analysis is an important part of all SEM strategies. While it’s important to refine your own targeted approach, it’s equally important to understand which companies are bidding on the same keywords and categories that you’re targeting.

Information uncovered during a competitive analysis can help to improve your own performance and get a leg up on the competition.

Expert Search Engine Marketing Agency in Naperville, Chicago & Des Moines

Are you looking for expert guidance to get your SEM strategy off of the ground? Our friendly and professional team at MACLYN offer full-service marketing services to various businesses around Naperville, Chicago and Des Moines.

Our team is ready and waiting to help you make the most of your SEM marketing efforts – because there’s no reason to settle for second best. Contact us today for a free consultation!