Search engine marketing: Benefits & how it differs from SEO

Search engine marketing (SEM) offers a valuable opportunity for new sites to gain visibility, particularly when combined with strong search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. As a pay-per-click (PPC) method, SEM involves purchasing ads on search engine results pages (SERPs) to generate traffic, appearing at the top and side of the page when users search for relevant keywords. SEM is particularly effective because 44% of purchasing experiences begin on a search engine, surpassing physical and online stores. While SEM requires an investment, it provides several advantages, including instant visibility, enhanced brand awareness, the ability to target specific geographical locations, and the capacity to precisely reach target audiences through strategically chosen keywords. Unlike other forms of advertising, SEM ensures that you only pay for effective ads, making it a cost-efficient option for digital marketing. Furthermore, SEM and SEO complement each other by driving traffic and allowing marketers to refine their strategies over time as they build a site's reputation and authority.