What is search marketing?

Search marketing is the process of gaining online visibility through both paid and unpaid efforts. Many businesses use both paid and unpaid strategies to gain new customers and reach new prospects. Search marketing is also the most active form of marketing, since customers have the highest intent because they are actively looking for the information that you are providing.

Why is search marketing so important?

When someone is searching for new information on a search engine like Google, they are more than likely going to click on the first 1-3 results that show up. Making sure your website is one of those top 3 results gives your site a better chance of getting clicked on. Google also crawls websites to look for Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness. Making sure your website has accurate, up to date information will allow Google to notice your website compared to other sites, and rank it higher in search engines.

What is the difference between Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing?

Search Engine Optimization involves creating content on your website that will catch the attention of users -- and Google — so that you can attract more customers to your site. This can be done by making new content, updating existing content, and updating the meta titles and descriptions that searchers see on the search engine results page. It also involves making sure that your site is technically sound and easy to navigate.

Search Engine Marketing involves bidding on keywords and creating ads that show up at the top of the search engine results page. These ads are pay-per-click and have a limited number of characters. With SEM ads, you can bid on certain keywords, so that when someone searches a keyword your ad has a chance of popping up.

Both forms of search marketing are extremely valuable and worth considering!

Do I need to do search marketing?

The short answer is, yes!

Every website can benefit from search marketing. New websites for small businesses just starting out can benefit greatly from correct SEO right out of the gate. More established businesses with a little additional money to spend can also see benefits from paid ads.

What kind of search marketing do I need?

It depends! Every website can benefit from professional Search Engine Optimization & that is always a great starting point. If you have some extra money to spend, paid ads are also a great option! If you’re not sure which service is best for you (one or the other or both), please reach out and I will be happy to offer a free consult!

Does search marketing guarantee results?

While any kind of marketing does not guarantee results, it is true that doing search marketing generally improves traffic to websites and many businesses see customer growth through proper search marketing tactics.