RTI Marketing Discusses the Benefits & Profitability of Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

New York, NY, June 14, 2016 (Newswire.com) - ​Abe Lincoln once said - "If I had nine hours to chop down a tree, I'd spend the first six sharpening my ax."

Well, we think Honest Abe was certainly on to something; In today's business landscape, it doesn't matter how efficient your business is run unless people can find you using the most frequented and convenient means of obtaining information. These days, those include Computers, Smartphones, and the Search Engines that power them. Digital Marketing and more specifically Search Engine Marketing is a way for your business to work smarter (not harder) to obtain new customers and clients - your sharp ax!

Business owners that were previously skeptical of initiating Digital Marketing Campaigns have watched their competition dominate the market share and are ready to get in on the action, too.

Ralph Iasevoli, Digital Marketing Analyst

Before we dive any deeper into the benefits of Search Engine Marketing, let's first explain what it is: Search Engine Marketing (SEM, for short) is the process by which a website, business or other entity aims to promote it's products or services using Search Engines, both via Organic (free) results or Paid results (Pay-Per-Click Ads via Google AdWords, Bing Ads, etc).

More people than ever before are using the internet to research products, services and the businesses that provide them, from getting the best slice of pizza to shopping for a mortgage and everything in between. So it's of no surprise that Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is in a current Renaissance period. Business owners that were previously skeptical of initiating Digital Marketing Campaigns have watched their competition dominate the market share and are ready to get in on the action, too. 

That leads to the following questions: What's so great about Search Engine Marketing, how do I know if I'm getting my money's worth, and how profitable is it? These are the most common questions about SEM that we're asked, so let's break them down one by one:

1. What's are the benefits of Search Engine Marketing? 

The truthful answer to this question is that there are tons of benefits to Search Engine Marketing - But two of the most evident benefits without getting TOO technical include Branding, and Targeted Audiences. For the following examples, we can use a local pizzeria as an example. 

Let's say your pizzeria is located in Anytown, USA. With a proper SEM campaign, someone who logs on to Google and searched "best pizzeria near me" can see your business show up at the top of the page. Because all Paid SEM campaigns are based on a Pay-Per-Click system, you only pay for the click if they do just that - click your ad! If they do not click your ad, they still saw your business name and information, and it didn't cost you a thing. This is how SEM can help brand your business; even if people happen to not click on your ad, your business name and info is still within their sights. 

In the example of Targeted Audiences, we can use a TV commercial as an example using the aforementioned pizzeria model. If you were to run a TV ad for your pizzeria located in Anytown, USA, you are essentially HOPING that someone watching that ad is located within the vicinity of your pizzeria, is hungry, and is in the mood for pizza! With SEM, you are targeting an individual that is actively SEARCHING for a pizzeria near them - and that's half the battle! A person actively searching for your product or service is more ready to consume that product or service because they are actively seeking it. 

2. How Profitable is Search Engine Marketing? 

To keep things simple, this depends on the following factors:

1. The amount of online competition in your industry & service location

2. Whether or not you have a professional managing your SEM Campaigns (this can make a huge difference!)

3. The quality of your website - Remember, most SEM campaigns are going to eventually point to your website, so it is extremely important that you have a website that is properly set up for SEM - contact us if you're not sure if your website is up to par)

4. The overall profitability of your business - does your business have the ability to generate repeat customers? If so, SEM is even more profitable than normal!

The bottom line is that properly executed SEM Campaigns are extremely profitable - there is a reason so many businesses use them! 

We hope that this article answers some basic questions about Search Engine Marketing. And remember

Source: RTI Marketing