When it comes to your small business marketing strategy, there are various avenues that you can take. But search marketing is one of the most effective methods every business should use.
What is Search Marketing?
First things first, let’s define search marketing.
Search marketing refers to gaining online visibility and directing traffic to your business/business website via a search engine, either through paid or unpaid methods. Search engine marketing (SEM) typically refers to paid search marketing, while search engine optimization (SEO) refers to unpaid or organic search marketing.
Why is Search Marketing so Important for Small (or any size) Businesses?
When we think of marketing – and the different stages of it – we can refer to a funnel. Towards the top of the funnel, you have the awareness stage, where you target audiences to promote brand awareness. An excellent example of this is social media marketing. Social media is passive. It focuses more on brand building and bringing brand awareness to the customer. Customers at the top of the funnel aren’t yet ready to convert, but as they make their way down the funnel, conversion becomes increasingly more likely. So targeting customers with a strategy that is lower in the funnel is going to be more effective for lead generation.
Search marketing is a lower funnel tactic. It targets customers that are ready to convert. An example of this is a “near me” search. Someone searching “coffee shops near me” on Google is prepared to go out and buy coffee. That’s why it’s so important to have a good search marketing strategy in place – so that you get through to those customers that are ready to convert.
3 Important Steps to Creating a Great Search Marketing Program
Search Engine Marketing and Paid Media Specialist Philippe Tremblay discusses Paid Advertising 101 in this special podcast appearance.
Before starting your search marketing campaign, become familiar with these three steps and start working on a plan to carry them out.
1. Have an Objective
Before executing your search marketing program, you need to have an objective. What is your goal?
Many businesses think boosting ads is the key to increasing visibility and traffic. But the reality is, if you’re promoting posts or ads with no real target, they’re just going to get lost. That’s why it’s essential to have an objective in mind of whom you want to reach and the impact you’re trying to make.
2. Execute a Strategy
You want to be ready for those “near me” searchers and customers lower in the funnel. That’s why you need to have a strategy. Your strategy is going to consist of essential keywords that are unique to your objective.
Execute your strategy and then use the next step to perfect your process.
3. Measure, Measure, Measure
You need a goal, but to reach that goal, you need to measure the journey. To do this, you will want to measure your performance metrics. So, determine which KPIs are important to your business and track them to perfect your strategy. For example, if you are trying to generate leads for your business, you will want to track conversion.
So how can you track search engine performance metrics? There are a couple of free tools you will want to use.
The first is Google analytics. Here you can track visitors, where they’re coming from and other primary KPIs.
The other tool you will want to use is Google Search Console. This tool gives you your keyword data. For example, you’ll see which organic keyword brought a visitor to your website.
Next, bring these two together with Google Data Studio. Google Data Studio lumps all of your analytic data together so that you can easily view it all on one singular page.
Want More Help with Your Search Marketing Program?
Remember that you won’t see an overnight change in lead generation. So to reap the benefits of this excellent marketing strategy, you must play the long game.
If you’re unsure where to begin or want an expert to look at your marketing strategy and see what can be changed to bring your business a more significant ROI, contact our digital marketing experts for a free consultation!