The statistic that 20% of small businesses fail within their first year may be sad, but it’s true. For someone like you who’s giving their all to a new startup, this may sound discouraging, but don’t be afraid- there are measures that you can take to remain far outside this percentage.
Investing in paid advertising is a surefire way to reach your audience, but what is paid search, exactly? Read on to learn what this is and how it can benefit you.
- What Is Paid Search? A Short Definition
In the simplest terms, digital marketing services company is a type of advertising that businesses can use to target users that have specific interests. Also known as search engine marketing (SEM), paid marketing lets you bid on certain keywords so that your ad can be displayed at the top of Google or in the sidebar when people enter the keyword as a query.
You can also bid on ad slots on websites related to yours and display your ad on these pages. These businesses won’t be your direct competitors, but rather those who offer services that complement yours. For example, if you sell aftermarket auto parts, you may want to display your ad on a page about car maintenance.
- What Are Paid Search’s Phases?
You likely are wondering how to implement SEM at this point, and you’ll be happy to know that it’s easier than it sounds. Once you choose between Google Ads vs Adsense– two of the most popular paid search platforms- you’ll be ready to roll. Here are some of the steps you’ll need to take:
- Create an ad that’s engaging, colorful, informative, and incorporates video or similar moving content (most consumers prefer video to other advertising mediums)
- Use keyword tools to check what people are searching (SEMrush is a good choice)
- Know your budget and work backward from that
- Organize and prioritize your keywords
- Place bids on the most relevant ones
- Make sure that your PPC ad links to your official webpage (to drive inbound traffic)
- Display your ad on social media as well as on search engines
- Why Is This Investment Worthwhile?
Paid marketing is unlike other advertising methods because it gives immediate results. While SEO is awesome, you’ll need to wait 4-6 months before seeing a traffic increase. Startups need to begin their business with a bang and not wait for this interval to be seen.
Another reason that PPC ads are a worthwhile investment is that they’re cost-effective. You don’t need to pay to display the ad unless someone actually clicks on it, which means that you only pay for interested parties to view your site. This helps to gather leads as well since your site likely will have cookies or a form of some kind that people can fill out in exchange for a reward.
Get Started
So, what is paid search? In short, it’s a digital marketing strategy that converts.
Now that you know all about SMM, it’s time to learn more information that will ensure the success of your startup. Check out the ‘tech’ and ‘finance’ tabs on our home page for more ideas on how to market online and set budgets for doing so. Remember that knowledge is power, so learn as much about your industry (and business in general) before innovating new ways to grow.
