What Is SEM on Google?
May 2023
SEM, or paid search engine marketing, can be implemented through different platforms, but the most widely used one is Google Ads. For brands, doing SEM on Google is an excellent way to attract qualified traffic to their websites and increase conversions.
Here is how to create a SEM campaign on Google step by step and optimize it to get better results.
To create a SEM campaign on Google, let's start with the most general and work our way to the most specific. This way, you will gain a more in depth understanding of the different elements of advertising on Google Ads.
To create your own SEM campaign in Google, the first thing you will need to do is register at https://ads.google.com (or log in if you already have an account). From there, you can start creating your campaign.
Google Ads are the basis of the ad campaigns you are going to launch, so they must have an objective that fits what you want to achieve. For example, to attract customers who are looking for products or services similar to yours, you will need a search campaign. On the other hand, in order to get people to directly in contact your company, a call campaign is more appropriate.
At the campaign level we will also make the following decisions:
Below the campaign level, there are ad groups which serve to organize campaigns internally. Think of the groups as the different "topics" of the ads.
Although, it's advisable to create ad groups that make the most sense for your product line, be careful not to exceed certain limits in order to not end up with an unmanageable campaign. In general, between 7 and 10 ad groups per campaign are plenty.
Keywords are the terms that users enter in the search engine and that determine whether an ad is shown or not. In general, it is advisable to include about 20 terms per ad group, always looking for those that offer more profitability and opportunities for conversion. It is essential to look at the user's intention when searching. Do they want to buy a specific product or are they just looking for information?
Another aspect to take into account when choosing keywords for SEM in Google is the level of agreement. To what extent do you match the user's search with the exact terms of the keyword(s). You have the following options:
Finally, you will need to introduce the different variations of ads that will be shown in the search engine when users search for the keywords in your list. Two or three ads for each group should be enough.
In addition to the description and the title of the ads, you can also configure some ad extensions so that the user has more information. There are many different types, which can be adapted to multiple objectives and needs but these four are usually most useful for companies.
Keywords are like the "bricks" of your SEM campaign on Google. If you appear by the appropriate terms, the chances of success multiply, but if you choose too competitive or generic terms, it will be much more difficult to generate conversions. The key to getting it right is to spend as much time as you need to research keywords before launching the first campaign. In addition, the information you generate will also be very valuable when it comes to better guide your SEO.
Google Ads offers multiple elements that lend themselves to optimizing, such as the title or the visible URL of the ads. The only way to know which variant will give the best results is by testing it in a controlled manner by experiments such as the A/B tests. Ideally, this type of testing is always taking place within the account, in order to publish increasingly better ads.
Periodic checks are the only possible way to see what is working and what is not within an account to continue optimizing the results. Therefore, we should never fall into the error of thinking that "your work is done" after launching a campaign.
Especially for small and medium businesses that start with SEM in Google, it is better to opt for few campaigns, few ad groups and few keywords. There is always time to grow later as the budget and expectations increase.
SEM in Google calculates many factors automatically to offer the best possible results within the budget set by the advertiser. Therefore, if we are changing it continuously, the system will never fully optimize and we will obtain worse results in the long run. The smartest option is to divide the monthly budget by 30.4 and allocate that budget to each day invariably.
Within the multitude of metrics offered by SEM in Google, it is necessary to distinguish between those that can really make a difference in the performance of the account. And without a doubt, the most important of all is the level of quality. The quality level is a score awarded by Google Ads based on the perceived quality of the ads. In turn, it is calculated using parameters such as the expected click rate, relevance and experience of the landing page. The higher the level of quality, the better the ads will rank and the lower the cost per click.
In the end, the most important metric is always the same: the ROI. What we are looking for with Google Ads is to generate conversions in a profitable way, so we always have to control how much we are spending on campaigns and what is the value generated in the form of conversions.
The main benefits of SEM is that it increases your brand's visibility online, drives traffic to your website, and raises your ranking on search engine results pages. SEM is also a great way to gain new customers and boost your revenue while keeping your acquisition budget relatively low
SEM in Google has great potential to help companies achieve their goals quickly and in a scalable way. However, to get the most out of SEM, it's ideal to have experts who have extensive experience positioning brands with Google Ads.
If you want to take advantage of all the benefits of SEM in Google for your brand, get in touch with us!
