This is an article ‘Taking a page out of the SEM playbook for a better professional career’ by Marc Primo Warren
In the world of digital marketing, both search engine optimization (SEO) and search engine marketing (SEM) matter in increasing awareness, engagement, and conversions. While most marketers believe that organic strategies can already do a lot for a small business, paid advertising lets you see exact results in faster timelines. According to one report, around 3.5 billion searches are done on Google every day. Just imagine the potential buyers you can acquire if your SEM strategy works. However, processes and trends change very quickly. That's why it's a must for every SEM practitioner to proactively upgrade his expertise if he wants to advance his professional career.
Aside from developing the right growth mindset to understand today's digital marketing concepts fully, modern marketers should first build the proper foundation for SEM. Otherwise, they might be unable to keep abreast of how processes evolve in the industry. But what does it take to succeed in such a complex marketing world?
The leverage that SEM strategies can give your professional career is unparalleled. Whether your client’s brand is pretty new to the game or already established, a properly executed SEM strategy can easily outperform competitors in terms of search ranking. Considering the many tasks and accountabilities in practicing SEM, here are a few tips that will try to cover its broad realm in the facets that really matter to both clients and consumers:
Have the initiative
Being an SEM professional means you are a student for life, and constantly reading and researching developments in the industry prepares you to dive into projects confidently. That said, being a self-starter who knows where to look for solutions is one attribute every SEM marketer should have.
It's easy to keep tabs on industry and tech shifts because, fortunately, most digital marketers are kind enough to share what they learn online. A simple Google search will give you hundreds of resources and case studies to help you develop the right strategies for your clients. Of course, it's always essential to establish what your objectives are and how to prioritize them accordingly.
Monitoring your daily tactics' performance can show you how much of an impact your strategy offers for your clients. Having good foresight about current SEM trends will give you the upper hand over the competition.
Focus on results
The best way to build a successful career as an SEM specialist is to know which key performance indicators to look at first. Aside from expecting faster results in search engine ranking due to your ad placements, tracking the increase in your website traffic and analyzing your client's return on investments is equally important.
One way to ensure that your strategies can work long-term is to adopt a sustainable method that won't affect your paid tactics whenever Google makes updates and changes. As long as you know how your niche market behaves online in terms of making purchases, desktop and mobile market share, and other such preferences, the better you can scale your SEM budget for ideal results. The key is to optimize what you can control and slowly tweak your strategies toward what works for your clients.
Be detailed and positive in your communication
88% of today's consumers want authentic voices from the brands they support, and how you convey your messages plays an important role in striking better and cyclic engagements. Right now, only 13% of websites can retain their rankings on both desktops and mobile devices. That's proof of how difficult it is to perform a balancing act across platforms, regardless of how much advertising spend you allocate for a campaign.
Still, content remains king when it comes to traditional or digital marketing, so it's always important to share your messages clearly and concisely. Whether you are doing SEO or SEM, identifying the proper channels, what your audiences expect, and how you address their pain points spells the difference in how they perceive your client's brand. Be specific to customers who already have a history of engagement with the brand you are promoting, and share some positive energy with both the consumer and the brand at all times.
Stick to whitehat techniques
In the country, 46% of consumers say they will buy products and services from brands they trust. The current figure rose by 31% from last year's numbers. These figures prove that pitching well-crafted sales messaging alone will not increase web traffic or conversions. Most consumers have developed a heightened sense of spotting dubious brands that resort to black hat tactics. As an SEM practitioner, that would not be advisable since authenticity is the name of the game in today's digital marketing.
Remember that today's algorithms are foolproof against blackhat strategies that give clients short-term gains, or worse, the website might be blocked from search engine platforms. On the other hand, consumers reward brands that gain their trust, which makes it easier for marketers to develop more enduring and cyclic relationships via inbound marketing strategies.
Today's shoppers long for experiential exchanges with the brands they follow but are quickly disappointed with broken promises, which can lead to a social media nightmare. Be sure to always practice white hat tactics and review your content management meticulously so that it always stays evergreen regarding your audience's interests and needs.
Keep abreast of statistics
Knowing the most significant numbers in your SEM practice can also help you gauge where you are as a marketing professional. Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising continues to rise steadily among companies who want to gain online traction, with 84% saying they need it badly. For many, almost a third of the entire marketing budget goes to SEM strategies, which is expected to grow throughout the years because of how SEM can potentially reach 90% of the targeted audience via Google Ads.
This year, it's best to focus on an SEM campaign that aims to increase your client database while knowing more about how your target audiences behave. Regularly review clicks and sales information, as well as past searches, that can give you an edge for retargeting. Doing so will give you more lookalike audiences to engage throughout your inbound marketing funnel.
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