{"id":165461,"date":"2023-08-24T22:25:05","date_gmt":"2023-08-25T03:25:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=165461"},"modified":"2024-06-27T06:50:31","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T11:50:31","slug":"search-engine-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-engine-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is Search Engine Marketing? The Simple Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">Search engine marketing (SEM, aka search marketing) is a type of digital marketing that utilizes search engines like Google to get more traffic to a website.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>There are two ways to do SEM. You can pay for ads to show up in the search engine\u2019s paid results or optimize your pages to show up in organic results. <em>And<\/em> you can do both&nbsp;too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1864\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-1.png\" alt=\"Google has two types of results: organic and paid\" class=\"wp-image-165471\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-1.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-1-365x425.png 365w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-1-768x895.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-1-1318x1536.png 1318w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, there\u2019s some debate about whether SEM includes both types of results or paid only. It\u2019s roughly a 50\/50 split, as you can see in our&nbsp;poll:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"500\" data-dnt=\"true\"><p lang=\"pt\" dir=\"ltr\">Is SEM<\/p>\u2014 Patrick Stox (@patrickstox) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/patrickstox\/status\/1638989725821292545?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 23,&nbsp;2023<\/a><\/blockquote><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>To keep things simple in this guide, we will focus on paid search advertising in Google.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And if you want to learn about SEO too, check out our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\">SEO guide for beginners<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Benefits of advertising in Google Search\" data-section=\"benefits-of-advertising-in-google-search\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Benefits of paid advertising in Google Search&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Search engine marketing on Google allows businesses to reach a large audience actively looking for products, services, or information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>68% of online experiences begin with a search engine (<a href=\"https:\/\/videos.brightedge.com\/research-report\/BrightEdge_ChannelReport2019_FINAL.pdf\">source<\/a>).&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Google is the biggest search engine, with over 92% of the market share (<a href=\"https:\/\/gs.statcounter.com\/search-engine-market-share\">source<\/a>).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And when compared to other marketing tactics, the benefits of SEM are quite notable:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>One of the quickest ways to drive traffic <\/strong>\u2013 You can turn on ads in minutes, and they\u2019ll start showing up in Google.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Relevant traffic <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>You get to choose the keywords and some other targeting options. For instance, if you\u2019re a plumber in London, you can literally pay to be there when people type \u201cplumber in london\u201d into Google.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Easy to measure <\/strong>\u2013 If your ads drive more revenue for your business than they cost, you\u2019re making money.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Easy to scale <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>The more money you pump in, the more your ads will&nbsp;show.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How Google Search Ads works\" data-section=\"how-google-search-ads-work\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Google Search Ads&nbsp;work<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Advertisers choose relevant keywords, set up the ads, and declare how much they\u2019re willing to pay for each click on the&nbsp;ads.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then Google uses an ad auction system to decide which company\u2019s ads to show on search engine result pages.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Winning ads are displayed on search engine results pages when users search using those keywords.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1476\" height=\"1208\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image12-10.jpg\" alt=\"Examples of ads in Google Search\" class=\"wp-image-165484\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image12-10.jpg 1476w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image12-10-519x425.jpg 519w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image12-10-768x629.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1476px) 100vw, 1476px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Examples of ads in Google Search.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Each time a user clicks an ad, Google charges the advertiser an amount up to their max bid. This is known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/ppc-marketing\/\">pay-per-click (PPC)<\/a> advertising model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1228\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-2.png\" alt=\"How Google Search Ads work step by step\" class=\"wp-image-165473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-2.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-2-623x425.png 623w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-2-768x524.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-2-1536x1048.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>The Google Ads platform (formerly Google Adwords) allows for a lot of customization as well as running ads on an automated basis. The key elements you can adjust in your campaigns are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Budget <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>How much you\u2019re willing to spend on average per&nbsp;day.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Bidding strategy <\/strong>\u2013 You can set a budget manually or let Google\u2019s AI system automatically adjust bids.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ad creative <\/strong>\u2013 All ad elements are customizable and greatly impact the performance of your campaign.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keywords <\/strong>\u2013 The search queries that should trigger your ad. Google also allows you to set up keywords that shouldn\u2019t trigger ads (aka negative keywords).&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Targeting <\/strong>\u2013 Location, language, or a predefined audience (for instance, your website visitors).&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ad schedule <\/strong>\u2013 You can choose to run your ads on specific days and times of the&nbsp;week.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How to win an ad auction\" data-section=\"how-to-win-an-ad-auction\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How to win an ad auction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike a typical auction, how much you\u2019re willing to spend doesn\u2019t necessarily make you the winner in Google\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/google-ads\/answer\/6366577?hl=en\">ad auction<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are five main factors that Google uses to determine which ads get shown on a&nbsp;page:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Your bid<\/strong> \u2013 The maximum you can pay for an&nbsp;ad.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The quality of your ads<\/strong> \u2013 How relevant and helpful the ad will be for the searcher.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The expected impact from your ad assets and other ad formats<\/strong> \u2013 This is additional information you can add to your ad, such as your company\u2019s phone number.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Your ad rank<\/strong> \u2013 You need to reach the quality score threshold for your ad to be shown in a particular position.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The context of your ad <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>Roughly speaking: who, where, and on what device enters the search query. <strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>The takeaway is this: If you have a high-quality, relevant ad, you can win a higher position even if the competition is willing to bid higher than&nbsp;you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1714\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-3.png\" alt=\"Relevant and quality ads can win the auction even if others bid more\" class=\"wp-image-165475\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-3.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-3-397x425.png 397w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-3-768x823.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-3-1434x1536.png 1434w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"SEM best practices and tips\" data-section=\"sem-best-practices-and-tips\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">SEM best practices and&nbsp;tips&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Keep these in mind when working on your SEM campaigns:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Choose good keywords&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Choosing the right keywords for your campaigns is about balancing these factors:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Value to your business <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>Typically, advertisers prioritize keywords that can result in direct sales, aka the bottom of the funnel. But depending on your strategy, you can invest in other <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/marketing-funnels\/\">marketing funnel<\/a> stages.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/types-of-search\/\"><strong>Search intent<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 Is the searcher interested in learning, buying, or finding a specific page?&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Volume <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>More volume means more popularity but also more competition and likely a higher cost. Alternatively, you can go for <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/long-tail-keywords\/\">long-tail keywords<\/a> with less volume but higher relevance to your business.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>CPC <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>The amount you\u2019ll pay for each click on your ad. You can use the forecasting tool in GKP to see if a keyword is worth it based on the conversion rate and the value of each&nbsp;sale.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>So, for example, expensive and low-volume keywords can be worth it if they have high business value to&nbsp;you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To find keywords, you can use the free <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/google-keyword-planner\/\">Google Ads Keyword Planner<\/a> (GKP).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brainstorm some words relevant to your business (<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seed-keywords\/\">aka seed keywords<\/a>). Entering those in the tool will then show you related keyword ideas with useful data, such as search volume, volume trend over time, and the estimated cost.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1574\" height=\"988\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image5-9.png\" alt=\"Google Ads Keyword Planner\" class=\"wp-image-165486\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image5-9.png 1574w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image5-9-677x425.png 677w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image5-9-768x482.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image5-9-1536x964.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1574px) 100vw, 1574px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>GKP is not the only tool you can use here. In fact, it has some limitations you should know&nbsp;about:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Lack of accurate search volumes <\/strong>\u2013 GKP shows volume ranges by default, while there may be a big difference between two keywords with the same&nbsp;range.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>You can\u2019t see your competitors\u2019 keywords <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>You can only see how competitive a keyword is.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>You can discover more keywords with other tools <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>One of the reasons is that GKP <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/gsc-gkp-search-volume-study\/\">groups keywords<\/a> with similar meanings.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Fortunately, <a href=\"https:\/\/ads.google.com\/home\/\">Google Ads<\/a> allows importing keywords from other tools. So to solve the above problems, you can use a keyword research tool with paid keyword data like Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To illustrate the difference, \u201chomemade dog food\u201d and \u201craw dog food\u201d appear in the same range in GKP, but Keywords Explorer shows there\u2019s a significant difference.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"584\" height=\"248\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image7-9.png\" alt=\"Search volume data from GKP\" class=\"wp-image-165488\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Search volume data from&nbsp;GKP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"856\" height=\"280\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image6-10.png\" alt=\"Sample keywords and their search volume from Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-165489\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image6-10.png 856w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image6-10-680x222.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image6-10-768x251.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 856px) 100vw, 856px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Search volume data from Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>What\u2019s more, the difference between the numbers of keyword ideas is quite big: 1,158 (GKP) vs. 382,354 (Ahrefs).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1204\" height=\"354\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image3-9.png\" alt=\"Number of available keyword ideas in GKP\" class=\"wp-image-165491\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image3-9.png 1204w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image3-9-680x200.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image3-9-768x226.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1204px) 100vw, 1204px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Number of available keyword ideas in&nbsp;GKP.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"586\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image1-8.png\" alt=\"Number of available keyword ideas in Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-165493\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image1-8.png 940w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image1-8-680x425.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image1-8-768x479.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Number of available keyword ideas in Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>And finally, you can just plug your competitor\u2019s URL into Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a> to study their paid search marketing strategy. That includes keywords they bid on, ads they use, and landing pages they send traffic to.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, we can see this dog food brand bids for 12 keywords, as well as 98 ads active in our selected time period.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"1039\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image9-11.jpg\" alt=\"Paid search report in Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-165495\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image9-11.jpg 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image9-11-680x353.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image9-11-768x399.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image9-11-1536x798.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">The<strong> Paid search<\/strong> report in Ahrefs has separate sections for keywords, ads, and landing pages.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1999\" height=\"878\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image10-9.png\" alt=\"Example of an ad with keyword insight and performance data, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-165497\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image10-9.png 1999w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image10-9-680x299.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image10-9-768x337.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image10-9-1536x675.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1999px) 100vw, 1999px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Example of an ad with keyword insight and performance data (via Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Site Explorer<\/a>).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Pro Tip<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n\n\n\n<p>Check the <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/keyword-difficulty\">Keyword Difficulty (KD) score<\/a> in Ahrefs before running your campaign. If the CPC for a keyword is high but the difficulty of ranking is low, consider trying to rank in the organic search results instead. Learn more in our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-vs-sem\/\">guide to SEO vs. SEM<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1192\" height=\"736\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image17-8.png\" alt=\"Keyword data, via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-165500\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image17-8.png 1192w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image17-8-680x420.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image17-8-768x474.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1192px) 100vw, 1192px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Don\u2019t be afraid to constrain your campaigns&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In Google Search Ads, it\u2019s best to use a targeted approach. Instead of bidding on general keywords in all locations, let Google show fewer ads to a more qualified audience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For starters, if you want your ad to be shown for queries only closely matching your keywords, you need to use the <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/google-ads\/answer\/7478529?hl=en\">match type<\/a> notation. Specifically, the phrase match and exact&nbsp;match.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Otherwise, Google will use broad match by default and show your ad for queries <em>it<\/em> finds relevant, which will be outside your control.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1328\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-4.png\" alt=\"Examples of keyword match types\" class=\"wp-image-165478\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-4.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-4-576x425.png 576w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-4-768x567.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-4-1536x1133.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Another good practice in SEM is using negative keywords. They prevent your ad from showing when certain irrelevant keywords appear in a user\u2019s search query. Here\u2019s an example (notice that <a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/google-ads\/answer\/12437241\">match types apply here<\/a> too):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1800\" height=\"1032\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-5.png\" alt=\"How to use negative keyword match type in Google Ads\" class=\"wp-image-165480\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-5.png 1800w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-5-680x390.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-5-768x440.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-5-1536x881.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1800px) 100vw, 1800px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You should align your campaign with relevant locales and languages\u2014that\u2019s obvious. But consider also setting specific time frames for optimal results.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For instance, you may find that your ad does best during weekends or weekdays outside business hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Last but not least, start with a conservative budget and give your campaign some time to show initial results. Don\u2019t go all&nbsp;in.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-ads-broad-match-data-ppc-marketers-429885\">Google Ads Broad Match: What the Data Reveals for PPC Marketers<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Match campaign structure with keyword groups<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The campaign structure is about matching keywords to ads and their landing pages. It can help optimize your ads and ensure high ad quality.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A good solution to start with is basing your campaign on keyword themes (aka clusters). A cluster will contain keywords with similar meanings and intent. Here\u2019s how it looks in detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Notably, there are four elements in the account structure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Campaigns<\/strong>&nbsp; \u2013 Each has its own budget and settings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ad<\/strong> <strong>groups<\/strong> \u2013 An ad group contains a set of similar ads and keywords.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Ad copy<\/strong> \u2013 The copy that\u2019s displayed for your keywords.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Keywords<\/strong> \u2013 Search queries that you\u2019re bidding to trigger your&nbsp;ads.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you organize these elements based on keyword themes, your campaign structure will look something like&nbsp;this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1706\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-6.png\" alt=\"Google Ads campaign structure based on keyword clusters\" class=\"wp-image-165481\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-6.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-6-399x425.png 399w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-6-768x819.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-6-1441x1536.png 1441w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\u2019re working with a lot of keywords, you can organize them into themes using ChatGPT.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"682\" height=\"962\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image8-6.png\" alt=\"ChatGPT organizing keywords into clusters\" class=\"wp-image-165502\" style=\"width:341px;height:481px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image8-6.png 682w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image8-6-301x425.png 301w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 682px) 100vw, 682px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.datafeedwatch.com\/blog\/google-ads-campaign-structures\">8 Most Popular Google Ads Campaign Structures [Pros &amp; Cons]<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">4. Keep your messaging consistent&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Google not only evaluates your ads but also looks at your landing pages. It checks whether you\u2019re truly delivering what you claimed in your&nbsp;ads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Obviously, this is Google\u2019s safeguard against spammers. But there are some instances where you may unintentionally make this mistake. So make sure&nbsp;to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Show ads only for the available inventory.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Link to the page with the most relevant information. Example: If you\u2019re advertising \u201cfood for dogs with allergies,\u201d link to a page with that specific type of product instead of, say, all dog products or the homepage.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Follow through on the offer. Example: If you\u2019re offering a discount, make it very clear and visible on the&nbsp;page.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This is not only to \u201cplease\u201d Google. Consistency creates a better user experience. When users get what they expect after clicking on an ad, they are generally more satisfied, which can increase your conversion rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">5. Let AI help you with ad&nbsp;copy&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if you genuinely love to write, preparing multiple ads and their variations can be a nightmare.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There\u2019s nothing wrong with using AI tools to help you with&nbsp;that.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>AI tools like ChatGPT are great for coming up with initial ad copy ideas. You can take the best ideas and modify them to your heart\u2019s content.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1448\" height=\"1198\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image2-10.jpg\" alt=\"ChatGPT generating ideas for ad copy\" class=\"wp-image-165504\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image2-10.jpg 1448w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image2-10-514x425.jpg 514w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image2-10-768x635.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1448px) 100vw, 1448px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>AI can also come in handy when improving your campaigns. For example, here I\u2019m asking ChatGPT to help me improve keyword relevance for \u201cbest human grade dog&nbsp;food.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1580\" height=\"974\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image13-7.png\" alt=\"ChatGPT generating ideas on improving keyword relevance\" class=\"wp-image-165506\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image13-7.png 1580w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image13-7-680x419.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image13-7-768x473.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/image13-7-1536x947.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1580px) 100vw, 1580px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">6. Use an iterative approach&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In SEM, you can\u2019t fully predict the results. It\u2019s a game of fine-tuning for Google\u2019s systems and your customers\u2019 needs. An iterative approach helps you adjust to that environment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It means that you\u2019re not trying to make your ads perfect in the first run. Instead, you launch a reasonable campaign, measure the results, and optimize one thing at a&nbsp;time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Again, this is why you shouldn\u2019t use your entire budget when launching a campaign.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, over time, you may discover that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Highlighting certain features in ad copy will increase the ad click-through rate.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You need to sweeten the deal on your landing page to increase conversions and the overall ROAS (return on ad&nbsp;spend).&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some underperforming keywords need to be deleted or isolated in separate ad groups.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Search engine marketing tools\" data-section=\"search-engine-marketing-tools\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Search engine marketing tools&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Helpful tools in managing your SEM campaigns in Google:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ads.google.com\/home\/\"><strong>Google Ads<\/strong><\/a> (free) \u2013 Set up and manage SEM campaigns in Google.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ads.google.com\/home\/tools\/keyword-planner\/\"><strong>Google Keyword Planner<\/strong><\/a> (free) \u2013 Google\u2019s tool for generating keyword ideas.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\"><strong>Ahrefs\u2019 Keywords Explorer<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 Generate keyword ideas, get more accurate keyword data, and analyze your competitors.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/trends.google.com\/trends\/\"><strong>Google Trends<\/strong><\/a> (free) \u2013 Find trending keywords, analyze keyword trends and seasonality.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/unbounce.com\/\"><strong>Unbounce<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 Build landing pages for your ads and test&nbsp;them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/chat.openai.com\/\"><strong>ChatGPT<\/strong><\/a> (freemium) \u2013 Your SEM co-pilot.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/writing-tools\/google-ads-generator\"><strong>Ahrefs\u2019 AI Google Ads Copy Generator<\/strong><\/a><strong> <\/strong>(free) \u2013 Generate quick ad ideas, rephrase ad&nbsp;copy.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.clickcease.com\/\"><strong>Clickease<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 Stop harmful clicks from wasting your budget.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"FAQ\" data-section=\"faq\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQ&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Frequently asked questions about&nbsp;SEM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s the difference between SEM and&nbsp;SEO?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>SEO aims to get organic traffic from search engines like Google, whereas the goal of SEM (search engine marketing) is to use both organic and paid methods.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Basically, SEO is a part of&nbsp;SEM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s the difference between SEM and&nbsp;PPC?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>PPC (pay-per-click) advertising is about purchasing ad placements that are paid for every time a user clicks on the ad. PPC in search engines is a part of SEM. But SEM itself is broader; it also includes SEO (search engine optimization).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What\u2019s the difference between SEO and&nbsp;PPC?&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The difference between search engine optimization (SEO) and pay-per-click (PPC) marketing is that SEO focuses on getting traffic from organic search, whereas PPC focuses on getting traffic from paid search, social, and display.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read our <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-vs-ppc\/\">SEO vs. PPC guide<\/a> to see whether you should go for one of them or&nbsp;both.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are two ways to do SEM. You can pay for ads to show up in the search engine\u2019s paid results or optimize your pages to show up in organic results. And you can do both&nbsp;too. That said, there\u2019s some<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":159,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[390],"tags":[],"coauthors":[412],"class_list":["post-165461","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marketing","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What Is Search Engine Marketing? The Simple Guide<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn what search engine marketing is, how it works, the best practices to implement, and more in our beginner-friendly guide.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-engine-marketing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Is Search Engine Marketing? The Simple Guide\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Learn the basics.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-engine-marketing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-08-25T03:25:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-06-27T11:50:31+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/08\/search-engine-marketing-1.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mateusz Makosiewicz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Learn the basics.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@m_makosiewicz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-engine-marketing\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/search-engine-marketing\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mateusz Makosiewicz\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/c7e64c851ecc4eabb77eaefae90a440c\"},\"headline\":\"What Is Search Engine Marketing? 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