Get to the top of search results with SEM

How to Create a Powerful SEM Ecommerce Strategy

SEO seems to get most of the attention when it comes to marketing, but we can’t forget about SEM! Now … what is SEM?

Let’s go over the basics first: SEO stands for search engine optimization. It’s a free effort that focuses on optimizing your website and its content for words and phrases that people would type into a search engine.

For example, if your e-commerce site sells supplements in Canada, you can use a combination of words and phrases including:

• online supplement store canada

• protein shakes for athletes

• probiotics for women canada

• beet extract

As you build trust in Google by providing users with high-quality original content, hopefully you’ll start to rank higher for the keywords you’ve chosen.

Google uses an algorithm to determine which website or page can best respond to a user’s query (there are other factors as well, including how fast your site is and how long people stay on a page instead of bouncing after a few seconds).

If you do SEO right, you will be rewarded with organic or unpaid traffic, which means that people are typing your keywords in the search engine and seeing your website or web page in the results.

Great! However, SEO takes time.

And, if you’re targeting high-traffic, high-competition keywords, you may never make it to the coveted # 1 spot on Google.

That’s where SEM e-commerce comes in.

What is SEM?

SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing, also known as paid search. The most widely used paid search tool is Google Ads, so I’m going to focus on that.

By using SEM for your online store, you are speeding your way to the top of search results.

The process of using paid search ads (also called PPC, which stands for pay per click) as part of your SEM ecommerce strategy includes:

• Orientation to geographic areas

• Create advertising campaigns that target that group.

• Write relevant ad copy that engages and compels your target audience to click on your ad.

• Continuous monitoring of clicks, impressions and conversions.

You can see how much the keywords you want to target in Google Ads will cost per click (CPC).

The cost of your ecommerce SEM depends on how popular a keyword is and where you would like your ad to appear in paid results.

For example, targeting a keyword like “women’s red heels” for your ecommerce shoe store will cost you less than “women’s shoes.”

By using SEM for your online store, you can set a budget per day, per campaign, and per keyword so you don’t end up with surprises.

Google Ads lets you target the audience you want, from time zone to language preference.

You can make your ad appear at certain times, choose the keywords you don’t want your ad to show for, adjust bids for each keyword, and more.

The success of your SEM online store strategy depends on a number of factors, not just how much you are willing to pay for each click.

As I mentioned earlier, crafting compelling ad copy that entices visitors to click on your ad and monitoring the results is a big part of the process.

If you don’t have valuable content or a clear call to action on your website when a visitor arrives, you won’t get very far.

Plus, if you’re not constantly adjusting campaigns and analyzing data, you’re wasting your SEM ecommerce budget on unqualified clicks.

The SEM package of your online store will be specifically tailored to your product or service to give you the best possible results. Learn more about what we offer.

Is it a service-based company? Read my blog on SEO Vs SEM: What should service-based businesses focus on?

It is not a battle between SEO and SEM

Search engine marketing is not a game of one or the other. SEO is still important when focusing on an SEM ecommerce strategy and vice versa.

An effective SEO / SEM campaign will mean lower costs and higher visibility on Google. If you don’t spend time on SEO and it takes forever for your site to load, you will lose money on SEM ecommerce.

People will click on your ad, but they won’t wait for a website to load slowly. If people click on your ad and quickly leave your site, Google will lower your Quality Score and increase your CPC.

SEO is a long-term strategy that can help you increase leads and sales. Using SEM can help you get results quickly, but remember, you are paying for that traffic. If you can appear in more searches organically, you can reduce your SEM efforts or focus on new paid keywords to boost other areas of your business.