How Search Engine Marketing (SEM) Outsourcing Can Add Value to Your Business
Almost 30 percent of global web traffic is generated via online search usage, showing the vital role these platforms play in directing and navigating user flows to different websites. (Statista)
In digital marketing, visibility means visibility across digital platforms such as search engines.
This means visibility to your target customers and prospects. Search engines such as Google, Bing or Yahoo play an important role in aiding the buyer in purchasing decisions. People consult search engines before making decisions.
As of June 2021, Google.com holds the leading position as the most popular website worldwide with 86.9 billion total monthly visits. The online platform has held the top spot as the most popular website since June 2010, when it pulled ahead of Yahoo into first place. (Statista)
There are more than 3.8 million Google searches conducted each minute. (SEOTribunal)
As of December 2021, online search engine Bing accounted for over 7 percent of the global search market, while market leader Google had a market share of 86.19 percent. Meanwhile, Yahoo’s market share was 2.77 percent. (Statista)
A Forrester Consumer Technographics study called out that 60% of consumers will use a search engine to find the product they want and 61% will read product reviews before making a purchase. And one of the most trustworthy sources in this research and comparison phase is none other than search engines. Furthermore, consumers consistently rely on search engines, more than any other source, as a reliable place to research about brands, products, or services that they are considering buying. According to Forrester, 49% of consumers reported that they rely on search to inform purchase decisions, and 19% of respondents identified search engines as the most influential source in driving their decisions. (StateofDigital)
Buyers depend on search engines whenever they want to look up a product or service and are considering whether to purchase that particular product or service. It is therefore important for a company to appear on search engines.
Search engines give the implication of a brand’s credibility. In the race to the top spot in search engine results pages (SERPs), businesses of all industries therefore are investing on search engine marketing and advertising.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a digital marketing strategy that uses paid search strategies for search platforms like Google, Bing or Yahoo to boost a brand’s visibility, relevant traffic and ultimately, conversions. Paid search ads allow brands to appear on SERPs. In SEM, you get charged only for the number of visitor clicks per ad.
SEM builds trust in brands; about 88% of respondents say that they would trust online ratings and reviews more than a personal recommendation. (Webential)
With proper implementation of SEM, businesses can increase visibility across search engines and control how they would want to appear across SERPs.
How does SEM differ from SEO?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of optimizing content for the purpose of improving search rankings organically. With SEO, you can control your search rankings.
SEM entails the use of research, market research, and competitor research. While SEO works as an effective organic approach to ranking first place, SEM ensures that you appear for a SERP for a particular query.
According to Google Research, even with a #1 organic ranking, paid ads provide 50% incremental clicks. (Google via WebmasterWorld)
You can harness the power and influence of search engines through search marketing. Understanding what drives buyers’ approach makes for an effective search engine marketing strategy.
Search Engine Marketing is a key digital marketing strategy, yet it is time-consuming. The corresponding keyword research, competitor research, consumer research, reporting, monitoring of trends on top of the paid search campaign is part of the overall Search Engine Marketing process that can be quite overwhelming if done in-house.
Do I have a value-adding Alternative to Search Engine Marketing?
SEM Outsourcing is a value-adding process of contracting standard business SEM functions, particularly those that are non-core, to be handled by a third-party provider.
Through SEM outsourcing there is increased productivity and output, and at the same time reduced cost structures. Businesses can save up to 60% of the cost when outsourcing services. Outsourcing allows organizations focus and control of the business by freeing up time and effort allotted to non-essential functions.
SEM Outsourcing is best for small to medium enterprises looking to have best practices while allowing you to focus on building and nurturing customer relationships and improving customer experience.
What are the roles I can outsource?
SEM Specialist
With SEM Outsourcing you get access to SEM experts, also called Pay-per-click (PPC) Specialists, responsible in ensuring the effectiveness of your Search Engine Marketing Campaign and ensures you get the right traffic through ads optimized and tailored to your target audience and operating within the approved ad budget. The SEM Specialist conceptualizes search ads, identifies relevant keywords, ad setup, ad goals and objectives, and corresponding remarketing ads if needed.
Copywriter
Content drives quality leads. 67% of direct traffic is produced by companies with blogs, while it produces 97% more linkbacks and 434% more indexed page. (Webential)
A great part contributing to an effective SEM Outsourcing strategy is the ad and website copy. Your outsourced copywriter can create a compelling copy that is aligned to your business, your brand, and your target niche. The ideal copywriter for your business should understand brand marketing, and SEO concepts.
Researcher
Some tasks you can offload to an outsourced researcher are searching for qualified leads, market research, competitor research, campaign analysis, PPC reports, PPC audit, campaign monitoring and reports, and keyword research.
What are the benefits of an SEM Outsourcing provider?
With SEM Outsourcing you get visibility, control, and competitive advantage. The right SEM Outsourcing provider grants you access to technical expertise and best practices in search ad campaign creation and monitoring, content building, and ad and landing page optimization.
When utilized properly, SEM Outsourcing improves visibility and control. That is, visibility in search engines and control in relevant audience, ad budget or ad spend.
