While many of you are familiar with the terms SEO, SEM, SERP, PPC, etc. others don’t know what all the acronyms in this business stand for and are not sure that the internet and online marketing can help them achieve their goals for their business or organization. We have prepared this brief overview to provide a definition, help you understand the industry and decide if you could benefit.
SEO refers to search engine optimization, the process of structuring a web site so that it will appear at or near the top of a search engine results page (SERP) for your chosen keyword phrases. It also involves researching the best keywords to use for your industry, and they are not always the ones you would expect. Often our potential customers use different search terms than we would use, or they search for the solution to a problem without knowing exactly what they need. Keyword research is an important part of SEO and critical to the success of any campaign.
SEM (search engine marketing) is a term that encompasses SEO and all the other things you have to do to be successful in online marketing. With growing competition and increased sophistication of search engines, it is no longer enough to choose your keywords and make sure they are used properly within your site. There are now many more elements to a successful online marketing program. Among other things, you must regularly update your content and add new content. You must get links to your site from other sites, but it is important to know which sites can help you and which are a waste of your time.
Search engines take as many as 200 different elements into account when determining how to rank your site. The more of these elements you get right, the better you will do. It is an ongoing process, so once your site is doing well you will have to keep up with industry changes and ever-increasing competition in order to keep doing well.
You may also want to spend some of your SEM budget for pay per click advertising (PPC) which allows you to bid for ranking position among the listings labelled as sponsored. These usually appear above and/or to the right of the regular search results. All major search engines have PPC programs. The benefit is instant visibility on search engines. The downside? You have to pay for every click, and as soon as you stop your visibility disappears.
SEM has also come to include analysis of your site traffic and conversion rates. A number one ranking and increased traffic are no longer the only things necessary to declare success. They must be accompanied by increasing conversion rates and sales (or signups, phone calls, downloads or whatever action it is you want your visitors to take).
When done correctly, SEM will lead to targeted traffic that converts well. Targeted traffic means the people who arrive at your site are already interested in what you offer and are specifically looking for your products or services. You’re better off with 100 targeted visitors than 1000 visitors who have done a more general search and end up leaving your site right away. For example, if you run a luxury hotel and fine dining restaurant in Vancouver, you don’t want the visitors who have searched for a very general term such as ‘travel’, ‘hotel’ or ‘accommodation’ since they could be heading anywhere in the world, or a more specific term that does not relate to your business, such as ‘cheap Vancouver motels’. Instead, depending on your keyword research, you would focus on terms such as ‘luxury Vancouver accommodation’, ‘5 star Vancouver hotels’ or ‘fine dining in Vancouver’.
If you have a local business and don’t sell online, do not discount the power of the internet. Many internet-savvy people (and their numbers are growing every day) use the internet to find local businesses or to research products before walking through your door to buy them. This also applies to larger ticket items that would not normally be sold online and shipped, such as appliances, swimming pools and cars. I researched my last vehicle purchase online, narrowing my choices to 3 or 4 before ever walking onto a sales lot for a test drive. So while I did not buy a car online, the internet was a big part of my decision making process. Countless people do comparison shopping online before making a purchase, whether it’s a car or a digital camera.
Depending on the size and structure of your business or organization you can learn to do SEM yourself, train a staff member to handle it, or hire an outside individual or company to do it for you. If you are hiring someone outside your organization it is still a good idea to gain basic knowledge of the processes involved so you can ask the right questions, take an active part in decision making and be confident the job is being done right.
SEM is also a great opportunity for individuals and new or existing businesses. As more businesses decide to harness the power of the internet, more skilled people are needed. Existing SEM firms hire new staff, individuals start their own small businesses to offer this service, and firms doing related work, such as web design and traditional marketing, expand their service offerings to include SEM.
The SEO/SEM training we offer encompasses all of these needs. For those new to search engine optimization and marketing, business owners who want to oversee work on their web sites by staff or contractors, and those looking for new careers with in-office or work at home possibilities, our 2-day basic SEM course gives you all the information you need. For those who have some knowledge of SEO/SEM and want to expand their skills and gain certification, the 3-day advanced SEM program takes you to the next level. If you want to handle all online marketing efforts for your own or client web sites, you can attend all 5 days for an intensive course of basic and advanced SEM training.
In the majority of cases the cost of your course and any associated travel expenses can be written off as a business expense. Many students say they have recouped the costs through increased business in a matter of months.
Did you know? The Search Engine Academy of Western Canada is part of a network of Search Engine Academies operating in Canada, the USA and Asia. Founded by industry experts Robin Nobles and John Alexander, the Academy is the leading provider of SEM education in a classroom setting and has taught thousands of students.
