SEM (Paid Search)

According to the Office of National Statistics, search is the most popular activity on the Internet bar email, and search engines are often the first port of call for Internet users. Unsurprisingly, this means many companies see search advertising as the most effective way to reach potential customers online. The concept of a search engine is an advertisers' dream. Aglobal audience of billions conveniently stating what they want, and looking for companies and organisations to fufill these desires. Search advertising therefore gives companies a unique way of connecting with customers who are searching for what they sell. Paid-for search (also called sponsored search) broadly refers to the practice of advertisers paying search engines to be included in a user's search results on relevant, pre-determined keywords. Search engines use an auction-based method to detemine the placement of paid for listings, with the top placing allocated to the highest bidder. Sponsored search listings appear in a section separate from natural, or organic, search results, usually at the top or beside natural listings, carrying a disclaimer that the listings have been paid for. Search marketing professionals traditionally use one of two formats when its comes to sponsored search. Advertisers can pay for ads based on keyword queries made on search engines or their partners, such as shopping comparison sites. Alternatively, they can opt for advertising based on the content context of a publisher's web page. Both formats can be paid for based on every time a user clicks on the link (pay-per-click) or the number of page impressions. Some search engines also offer a 'paid inclusion' format, where an advertiser pays simply to be included in search rankings. Unlike the other formats, this guarantees inclusion but not placement. The paid-for search market has become increasingly sophisticated, with some services offering geo-targeting, enabling advertisers to only show ads based on the locations of searchers. In addition, pay-per-call services, pioneered in the US, are beginning to take off in the UK. Pay-per-call is billed as an alternative to traditional pay-per-click search advertising, where the advertiser is only required to pay for the adverts that result in phone calls, in much the same way pay-per-click advertising only charges for visitors sent to a website. There are many paid-for search companies listed here, offering a wide range of services to help you make the most out of the burgeoning search market. Paid search suppliers include the search engines themselves as well as agencies that are specialist in optimising campaigns with the search engines to maximise effectiveness.