SEM Gets Your Shiny Objects to the Top of the Page

What do you think about the segue from Search Engine Optimization to Search Engine Marketing at the end of the last section? Pretty smooth for an Internet Marketer I’d say. Anyway, I’ve now destroyed the whole point so let’s just jump back in.

As a mouse trap seller to-be, you’ve discovered that it is a very good thing to be at the top of search engine result pages. But you also learned that, I hope, that it can be pretty darn complicated and time consuming to get to the top of the list. Taking steps to get to the top of the list through SEO methods should be part of your plan, but what if you want to sell mouse traps today, not in months?

That is where Search Engine Marketing (SEM) comes in. Remember the listing at the very top of the search engine result page? Also, think about the ones on the right hand side of the page. Forgot? Take a look at our Google search for mouse traps again.

The websites that were listed in those spots did something very special and very super secret to get those prime spots. “What did they do that was so special and super secret?” you might be asking. Well, I can’t tell you about the super secret part, but the special thing they did was to PAY for the spot.

That’s right, they paid to get those great spots. Isn’t that cheating you may ask? (You’ve got a lot of questions today…). Nope, it’s just how it’s done. Think about the commercials for Fruit Loops Cereal that show during the breaks of a children’s television show. What about the product placement ads during your favorite movies? Didn’t you notice the bag of Reese’s Pieces on ET? Paid search results or sponsored links, also called Pay Per Click ads, are no different.

So how does a mouse trap seller get in on this wonderful super secret special way of getting top placement on search engines? The most prominent program today is Google’s AdWords ™. AdWords allows you to display sponsored links on Google search results as well as on content sites that display Google sponsored links. As a matter of fact take a look at the top of this webpage. You’ll notice, and hopefully click, two sponsored links just above the post title. Most search engines have similar programs such as Yahoo!® Search Marketing and Microsoft® AdCenter.

Speaking of clicking on ads, the great thing about Pay Per Click is that you only, well, pay per click. That’s right, you only pay for the ad if someone reads it and clicks its, thereby visiting your website. How’s that for a great value? Think of it as running an ad for your mouse traps in an International magazine with billions of subscribers. Think how much that 1 by 1 inch ad would cost. Lots and Lots… But now assume you got the same exposure, but only had to pay based on how many people actually saw, read and took the time to visit your business website. Much better deal right? That’s Search Engine Pay Per Click. Even better, something the clicks only cost pennies each.

The premise is pretty simple to use these services although they can be quite overwhelming for new mouse trap sellers. Basically you select keywords and phrases for which you think your potential customers will search. As an online mouse trap seller you’d likely select keywords like as ‘mouse trap, ‘rat trap’ and ‘kill mice.’ You’ll then create short ads that will be displayed when someone searches on a keyword you’ve selected. Lastly, you’ll ‘bid’ on placement for the ads. The bid determines how much you pay for each time your ad is clicked and how high up it appears on the list. Bid low, pay less, but show less and lower. Bid high, pay more, but show more and higher up on the page or in the list of results.

As a new mouse seller you might consider using an expert to manage your Pay Per Click campaign. There are a number of companies that will do this for varying fees. Shameless Plug Alert! Riverbank Consulting offers Pay Per Click Services for Small and Home Businesses through its Webs 4 Small Business services. I warned you a plug was coming….

So that’s an overview of Search Engine Marketing and Pay Per Click advertising. There is much more that you can learn about Pay Per Click. To get you started here are a couple of blog posts where you can read for even more information: Internet Marketer Handbook and Small Business Internet Marketing. You may also want to check out Google and Yahoo! for more information about their specific services.

If you’re keeping track we’re almost done with our lesson. Next up we’re going to take a final look at marketing an online business… Okay, here’s one more mouse trap video to hold you over until the next section.

To be continued...