SEM, or Search Engine Marketing, can be best described as Direct Marketing on Google’s content network. Also known as paid search or Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising, the most common SEM ads are the ones that you see in the shaded areas at the top of and down the right side of a SERP (Search Engine Results Page). You will also find these ads on various websites under the heading “Ad’s by Google.”
You can also buy PPC ads from other search engines and content providers, but since Google is the DOMINANT provider of search and SEM, we will use them as the example.
In a perfect world, Pay Per Click advertising is a win, win, win situation for everyone involved. The SEM wins because you agree to pay them a little bit of revenue every time somebody clicks on your ad, you win because you have a qualified prospect visiting your site, and the prospect wins because they have found what they are looking for. However, like every other form of advertising, you will want to focus on your creative and test various ads to get the best results.
