The secrets of search engine marketing (SEM) and the difference between it and SEO 

Many website owners search for the details of search engine marketing (SEM), especially before starting strategic planning to improve the website online, so that they know whether it is the appropriate path for their site or not. They also wonder about the difference between search engine marketing (SEM) and search engine optimization (SEO), so I am pleased. Through this article, I will explain to you the answers to these questions in detail.

But before starting, you must know that our conversation will take place between the two main parts of the search engine marketing industry:

1. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the first part that aims to improve appearance in search engine results (SERPs).
2. SEM – This is the second part that aims to use paid methods to appear in search results (Google Ads).

Search Engine Marketing SEM

The term search engine marketing means Search Engine Marketing (SEM) in English.

But its marketing concept is the paid strategy for your site so that you get more insights, visits, and sales growth on search engines significantly, and this type of marketing is also known as PPC (Pay Per Click).

SEM uses PPC strategies like Google Ads and Bing Ads to use available ad formats to reach your target audience.

This type includes everything from setting up and optimizing paid ads to account management to increase conversions and revenue.

SEM campaigns usually start with comprehensive keyword research and competitor insights, which you can do using specific tools.

Such as Google's set of advertising tools dedicated to creating targeted campaigns so that the products and services of this campaign reach the target audience.

SEM is also known as the fastest and most effective way to grow your site, obtain new customers, and increase the visibility of your website on the first search results pages (SERPS), so that your website, in exchange for payment, outperforms your competing websites.

This type of marketing usually uses sites that provide services and products, in order for your site to win the purchase that has been made and gain a new customer.

Types of SEM campaigns

These campaigns have many types, for example:

• Search ads (text ads).
• Shopping ads
• Display ads.
• Gmail Ads.
• YouTube ads.

Advantages of search engine marketing (SEM).

There are many advantages that make search engine marketing better for website and online store owners, and the advantages of using search engine marketing (SEM) are as follows:

1. Complete control over when ads appear and to whom they appear.
2. Send more traffic and convert it into sales, or to speed up traffic to your site during quieter periods.
3. You can increase clicks and conversions in a very short period of time.
4.  Google SEM enables you to display your brand in the ad title, URL, and description.
5. Your products and services appear faster on search engine pages.
6. Ease of targeting the audience such as:

Geographic targeting.

Ad scheduling.

Device targeting.

All this to enhance the performance of your ad and ensure that your ad reaches the target audience through search engines.

7.  Control the phrases that guide the user to take the action you target in your campaign, or what are known as CTAs.

SEM search engine marketing secrets

As we explained earlier, search engine marketing is when advertisers pay for impressions that result in visitors.

This aims to reach users when they most need the information you have to provide, the product you offer, or the service you provide, which makes pay-per-click ads faster to increase your visits and grow your sales.

So, let me now tell you about the secrets of search engine marketing and the most important factors for its success to get more visits and sales growth.

1. Choose the intent of the searcher for your service/product (keyword intent).
2. Determine the difficulty of the keyword and its monthly search volume. Keyword Volume and Competition.
3. Determine the keyword cost.
4.  Organizing the account and advertising campaign structure.
5. Writing an excellent marketing ad text - Copy.
6. Improve the first page that the customer enters.

First: Choosing the intent of the searcher for your service/product (keyword intent).

This step is considered the basis for the success of your marketing campaign, because choosing keywords related to the intent of the searcher for your service or product makes it easier for you to find your target customers easily.

You will also get better results through these words, so you must search well and get the most relevant words to your field and your visitors, and you can learn how to choose keywords by Keyword guide.

This guide makes you choose keywords suitable for all stages of the buyer's journey on your site - Buyer's Journey, and choose words related to your products directly or indirectly by your visitor.

Second: Determine the difficulty of the keyword and the monthly search volume for it

A word without a final search = an advertisement without results

This equation is true in the field of marketing and advertising. If there is no person searching for the keywords you target, then you will certainly not reach any results from your ads.

But beware!

If you choose a word with a high search rate and high competition, your ad will not bring you any results, so it is preferable to choose valuable words with a high search rate and low competition. So you can get new visitors from those targeted keywords.

Third: Determine the cost of the keyword 

Before determining the cost, you should know the following:

Keywords with high competition and high search are the most expensive in most cases.

The ads that are expensive and of high quality are the ones that win the highest position in the search results (first results), unlike ads that are low in cost, as they do not appear on the first page and are therefore of no benefit to their owner.

Therefore, make sure that the cost of your advertisement is competitive based on the amount of competition for the keyword chosen.

To calculate the average amount you're charged for each click on your ad, the average cost per click (CPC) is calculated by dividing the total cost of clicks by the total number of clicks.

Fourth: Organizing the account structure and advertising campaign

You must organize the structure of the advertising account and the audiences you target in your advertising campaigns, because there are many levels for organizing Google Ads campaigns, which are the following:

Advertisement - Ad

The advertisement is the promotional text that will appear based on the results of the keywords you have chosen.

Keywords 

Here, keywords related to your field are chosen and also the words that users search for your product/service to purchase.

Ad Group

At this point, similar keywords are grouped into a group to be used together.

Campaign

Ad campaigns are the top level of ad group management.

Fifth: Writing an attractive marketing advertisement text

After choosing the keywords and determining the budget, you must write an attractive marketing advertisement text, and you must pay great attention to it because the title is the first thing the visitor’s eye falls on in the search process, so you must pay attention to attracting his attention.

Also, the title is the factor that gives the first impression. If you do not give a good impression from the beginning, you will not earn it again. This is in addition to paying attention to the three elements of advertising:

1. Title – title.
2. Web page URL.
3. Description.

Sixth: Improving the first page that the customer enters

You must improve the first page that the customer enters and ensure the service you provide, so that you can convert the visitor into a permanent customer of your site.

This helps you exploit all the traffic that comes from the ad and convert the bulk of it into successful purchases.

If you do not have a specific page, you must create a landing page that is appropriate for your industry and includes a brief explanation of the unique benefits that your product/service offers to customers.

This page must also include three important elements: (a strong headline - a form for the customer to fill out - a distinctive call to action - call to action).

You should also pay attention to these elements within your page:

1. Do not fill the page with content that is not important.
2. It is best to reduce distractions.
3. Clarifying the steps for making an order or purchase.
4. Other customers' recommendations on your product/service.
5. Page design in eye-pleasing colors, clear font writing and appropriate spacing.
6. Establish the benefits that the customer will receive upon request.
7. If you have an offer or discount, it is best to place it first.

How to create advertising campaigns on Google?

1. Create your Google advertising account so that you are ready to launch your first campaign and obtain targeted visits and customers to your site through the following steps:
   1. First create a new Gmail account from Here Or use your actual account.

2.  After that go to HereThen choose the Gmail account that you created again.
3. You will be asked for some data necessary to register the account. Enter it and then log in or log in to Google Ads by clicking Here.

4. Then press Start now.
5. It will then redirect you to the New Campaign ad settings page.

6. 2-Click on the word Next and you will be taken to the next step (writing the name of your business)

7. Click on the word “Next” and then you will be asked for a link to your website.

After that, Google requests a link to your site, to ensure that you are a real business owner, then it shows you what your site looks like on a regular computer and phone, then click on the word Next.

8. When you get here, you must click on the word Next, and thus you will proceed to preparing your first advertising campaign.

9. Then choose the keywords that are appropriate for your site’s field, and do not worry, Google will suggest some suitable words for your site.

You have to choose the words and then add them that you want, after that click on Next.

10. Then choose the places where you want your ad to appear.

11.  Choose the daily budget that is appropriate for you, then choose the period for which you want to run the ad, then click Next.

12. Google will do a quick “review” of the format of your ad, as in the picture, and then you will click on the word Next.

13. You will add your payment information and addresses, so that your ads can run successfully, then click Next, and your Google Ads account will appear.

Thus, you have created an advertising account on Google, and now you are ready to launch your first advertising campaign on Google and obtain targeted visits and customers to your site.

Measuring the performance of search engine marketing campaigns

Measuring the performance of your advertising campaigns is important, so that you know the result of the budget and the words you chose, whether they achieved success or not.

These results are verified and tracked through advertising statistics that must be tracked through your advertising campaign in your Google Ads advertising account.

In addition to measuring the number of orders or purchases that were made from the start of the advertising campaign until its end.

What is the difference between SEM and SEO?

In general, the term “search engine marketing” refers to paid search marketing (advertising), a system in which companies pay Google to display their ads in search results.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is different from search engine marketing; Because companies don't pay Google for visits and clicks; Instead they earn a free spot in search results by having the most relevant content for a specific keyword search.

Because search engine optimization (SEO) is a powerful way to attract permanent visits to your site by appearing on words related to your site on the first page of search engine results (SERP) without the presence of ads, while search engine advertising is a very cost-effective way to obtain visits and growth. In profits faster.

So both SEO and SEM should be an essential part of your online marketing strategy.

If you own a website and want to improve it in search engines and market it to get more visits and profit growth, you can Contact us And get a suitable price quote for your site.