An overview of Search Marketing

Search Marketing can be carried out in two main ways:

1. Paid Search
2. Natural (Organic) Search

Ideally both should be deployed and used together to build the level of targeted traffic to a site.

The best Search Engine Marketing campaigns integrate a number of activities to improve the level of traffic and enquiries to a website. These are as follows:

1. Keyword Research
Choosing, researching and targeting the best key phrases are the first steps and the main foundation of an effective SEM campaign. Some phrases are highly competitive while others might be infrequently used. A list of the best keywords to target is determined by a variety of factors, and the criteria to carry this out are:

• Relevance
• Competitiveness
• Popularity
• Value

2. Gap Analysis
Gap Analysis is the process of identifying which key phrases a site is achieving high listings with and which it isn’t. To achieve the highest listings for the best key phrases it is important that there is good, relevant key phrase rich content on the site that will be accessed through a search.

3. Competitor Analysis and Monitoring
It is possible to monitor where competitors’ sites are getting their traffic from, which key phrases competitors are bidding on, and what positions they are high on. This information is hugely valuable in finding where to build links to a site.

4. Site Review
It is vital that a site is built to be fully optimised with target key phrases. The purpose of making the site more Search Engine friendly with particular emphasis on:

• Code
• Content
• Structure

5. Search Engine Copywriting
Writing the pages of a site in such a way that they are highly positioned on Search Engines, while at the same time read well for real visitors, will result in the site pages being easily accessible by visitors while at the same time be high on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs).

6. Link Building and Website Promotion
Link building and web promotion is one of the most important aspects in achieving a good position. The more link building and web promotion that is carried out the more the site will move up Google with the target key phrases.

7. Pay-Per-Click Campaigns
To make the most of a Pay-Per-Click campaign it must target the best key phrases at the best price. It must be set-up for the correct geographical locations and to run at the correct times. Pay-Per-Click is most effective when used with, or in advance of, a natural campaign.

Managing a PPC campaign means regularly and continuously making changes to the key phrases you’re bidding on as well as the bid prices. Every campaign needs to be monitored by continuously looking at key phrases, their value, how they are deployed, when they are used, and the market trends.