Search Engine Marketing (SEM) made easy – what it comes down to

12 min

Today, it is impossible to imagine the online marketing world without sophisticated search engine marketing. Surely you have already come across the term. But what exactly does search engine marketing mean and what does it involve? We would like to give you an insight into how you can be successful with your search engine marketing for your website.

What is search engine marketing?
How does search engine marketing work?
Why is search engine marketing so important?
What are the advantages of SEM?
Short and sweet – Conclusion

What is search engine marketing?

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is an area of online marketing that includes all the measures you take to get a good ranking of your website within the search engines. SEM includes all measures that you take to get a good ranking of your website within the search engines in the SERPs. The higher and better your site ranks, the more likely it is that it can be found by potential new customers.
Search Engine Marketing includes all your activities to get your website ranked for your keywords in the paid and organic segment of the search engines. You should know that the field of search engine marketing consists of the two subareas Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Advertising (SEA).

In short:
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) = Search Engine Optimization (SEO) + Search Engine Advertising (SEA)

How does search engine marketing work?

Search engines use very complex algorithms to display the best possible results to users according to their search. As already explained, SEM consists of the two subareas SEO and SEA, which must go hand in hand for optimal search engine marketing.

Search engine marketing with Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Search engine optimization is the process that affects a website’s visibility in a search engine’s unpaid results – often referred to as “natural”, “organic” or “earned” results. In general, the higher up on the search results page and the more frequently your website appears in the list of search results, the more visits you can receive from search engine users.
Your SEO is again divided into two parts: The OnPage optimization and the Off-Page optimization. The areas are also often referred to as OnSite and OffSite optimization.

  1. The OnPage optimization:
    The measures in the OnPage optimization can not be influenced by third parties and are therefore controlled exclusively by you. It revolves around all adjustments on your website, which should help you to a better Google ranking. Three points are crucial here:
    The technology (source code optimization)
    The content (Qualitative, unique & high quality content)
    The structure (formatting and preparation of your content)

    OnSite optimization is a constantly ongoing process, which may often seem very time-consuming to you. However, the time and effort will pay off in the long run, because once your website is in the top positions in the SERPs, it will have a certain sustainability. Google will not distrust your site from one day to the next. Nevertheless, you should regularly stay on the ball with the OnePage optimization and always keep your page up to date.

  2. The OffPage Optimization:
    As the term “OffPage” already suggests, this is about optimizing factors outside of your website. Through targeted link building in the form of backlinks, you can build a trustworthy online reputation and increase the authority of your website. As soon as other, trustworthy websites link to your own website, this is recorded as positive by Googlebot and can help you to achieve a good ranking.

Read more about search engine optimization in our eo:magazine article 😊

Search engine marketing with Search Engine Advertising (SEA)

With the help of SEA you can place targeted ads on search engines like Google. This brings you the advantage that you are played out for certain keywords, which you specify beforehand, in the top search results under the ads.
 These ads are paid, but you can act very short term. Google Ads are quickly set up and bring you within a short time already the first successes. Furthermore, your campaigns can be constantly monitored via Google Ads and you can improve them if necessary, should an ad not achieve the desired success. The marketing budget you have planned for paid ads can thus be used effectively and you always have an overview of your already used budget. There is no nasty surprise in the form of too high costs.

Start your first steps with Google Ads with the help of our guide.

Why is Search Engine Marketing so important?

Especially in recent years, the importance of search engine marketing has grown. Surely you know this from your own experience: If you want to inform yourself about a product or a service, then you usually do this first on the Internet. That is exactly why it is important that a user can also find you and your products and services there.
SEM is considered one of the most effective channels in the field of online marketing, in order to use the set marketing budget purposefully and efficiently
. Many companies now spend a large part of their budget on search engine marketing. On the one hand, this money is spent on experts who regularly optimize the website so that it ranks as well as possible in the generic search. On the other hand, budget is spent on placing ads in the best possible way within the framework of SEA. There are several possibilities for this:

However, all these forms of display lead to the same goal. With the help of an ad in the search engines, no matter what form of payment was selected for it, you and your website for users to place prominently in the search engine.

So that you can always be found well by users and potential new customers via search engines, it is important to drive
your search engine marketing with a mixture of SEO and SEA. This is the only way to get permanent visibility.

What are the advantages of SEM?

Search engine marketing can bring many benefits to you and your business. It is one of the most effective marketing measures in online marketing for the following reasons:

  1. New customer acquisition
    If a potential customer does not yet know your company with your products and services, he can become aware of you through an advertisement or your good ranking in the SERPs.

  2. Increasing
    the level of awareness A good positioning of your website in the search engines can increase the level of awareness of your brand and your products. For example, if you offer a certain type of watches and rank very well for the corresponding keywords, both with ads and generically, watch lovers will very soon notice and know your brand.

  3. Low wastage
    Of course, you use the appropriate keywords for your search engine marketing to address your target group exactly. Since the users already have interest in the product and the service through their search query, you hit exactly these people with your ads. In the best case, your website will only be displayed to users who have a need for it, so that wastage can be avoided.

We’re happy to give you a little guide on how to do your keyword research effectively.

  1. More visitors on your website
    With the help of the good ranking of your website through your search engine marketing you will have more visitors on your website. For this reason, please remember to present your website or landing page appropriately optimized for the users. Make sure you have an appealing design, quality content and a proper user experience. This can not only increase the number of visitors on your website, but also the dwell time and your conversion rate can be positively influenced by this 😊

  2. Retaining existing customers
    Attracting new customers is great, but retaining existing customers is also very important
    . That’s exactly why this advantage of SEM should not be ignored. Through your permanent visibility and your good findability in the search engines, you signal to your already existing customers that you are trustworthy. Not every user saves his links accordingly. If an existing customer wants to buy your products again, he will be happy if he can find your website with just a few clicks. This way, existing customers can also become regular customers.

Short and sweet – Conclusion

To be successful with your search engine marketing, you should carefully plan your measures for SEO and SEA. Make sure that you do not only focus on one of these areas, but that both components are in harmony with each other. With good search engine marketing, you will get a better Google ranking in the long run, can be found better by customers and potential new customers and increase the awareness of your brand and your products.

SEM is an important part of online marketing and should never be neglected by you for this very reason.

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