Search engine marketing (SEM) is an online advertising technique that seeks to achieve top search engine ranking for a site by spending less on advertisements and more on effective search engine marketing practices, paid links, and other factors. Search engine optimization (SEO) is used to increase a site’s website traffic and visibility in search results of major search engines such as Google, Yahoo, and MSN. SEM uses several marketing techniques and strategies.
The most common search engine marketing technique used by marketers is the use of pay per click (PPC) advertising. Pay per click (PPC) adverts are placed on the right hand side or above search engine results page. When a user clicks on any of these ads, advertisers only pay the host website if the targeted user clicked on their ads. Paid ads can be displayed in a number of sites including Google, Yahoo, and MSN.
Another method used in search engine marketing is through the use of ad swaps. Ad swaps are a cost effective way of attracting users to your site by placing relevant ads on other sites that have similar content as yours. These ads are usually relevant to the information in your site, but may also be placed on sites that have high search engine placement. Ads are usually targeted at specific audiences such as young adults and home buyers. Through ad swaps, you can improve your website rankings and attract more users to your site, resulting in more traffic and visitors.