According to Google, SEM, Search Engine Marketing or one of several other derivatives last month was searched on Google 15,258,380 times. Either this number is total BS or there are a significant number of people out there who don’t have a clue what SEM is or they are simply looking for more information on the subject. Similarly, 83,469,340 searches where conducted on SEO, Search Engine Optimization or several derivatives.

The keyword phrase “What is SEM” was searched 13,600,000 times, begging the question what were these people looking for when they searched this keyword phrase?

Some of the possibilities are:-

• Heard the term and wanted to know more about it.
• They were looking for information that would explain how to engage in the process.
• They are dissatisfied with their current service and want to find an alternative.
• They are satisfied with the SEM results but want to make sure they are not being overcharged.
• They are a SEM provider to the market place using the Search Engine to see who has the highest listing for this search term.
• They are conducting market research on the effectiveness of the technology.

Unquestionably, there are hundreds of possibilities and it’s not my intention to list them all but simply get you thinking about the possibilities.

In previous posts, I have said the clue to making your website more successful is the ability to get inside the heads of people who use search engines to find what they are looking for when they use a specific keyword phrase. The ability to determine what people are actually looking for is critical to website owners being able to increase website traffic and transaction numbers.

After finalising the book and sending it off to the printers, I have started using the term “DNA Thought Process” to describe this process in an effort to communicate my strategy more clearly on this blog.

The ability to use this DNA Thought Process and as part of the strategy I have outlined in DNO the SEO Revolution will ensure not only a highly ranked page one position on Google but a higher conversion rate when visitors come to your website.

Clearly it is not possible to determine what every person searching the internet who used the same keyword phrase is looking for, but it’s reasonable to assume with the term What is SEM they are looking for an explanation of what it is, how it works and how they can engage in the process. So here is my slant on what SEM is.

SEM stands for Search Engine Marketing and it is the process of attracting people who use Search Engines like Google to find companies and or organisations that sell or provide products and or services that closely fit the keyword phrase searched.

The reason we use Search Engines is because they provide a list of companies or organisations that offer products and or services determined by the Search Engine to be the closest and most relevant fit to the keyword phrase searched.

Seems like a match made in heaven.

SEM ads appear as the top two or sometimes three ads at the top of the page and all the ads down the right hand side of the screen. You have to look closely to see there is a very light background shading colour difference to separating the SEM ads from the SEO listings.

SEM, also known as PPC (Pay-per-Click) advertisers, list their ads based on the selection of a number of keyword phrases that best suit the products and or services they provide. To rank highest in this section the advertiser must place a minimum and maximum bid price on each keyword and every time the ad is clicked, a fee is charged by Google against the advertiser’s credit card.

The fee that is charged can be anywhere between the minimum and maximum keyword bid price and is charged $0.01 higher than the next highest bidder. Confused, I am sure you probably are, so let me give you a bid price example.

Company A: Minimum bid price $5.50 to be on page one for the keyword “What is SEM” with a maximum bid price of $11.50. This ad would appear in position one in the AdWords section because it is the highest bid price.

Company B:  Minimum bid price $5.50 maximum bid price of $9.20.

Both ads appear on page one and both are worded to attract the visitor’s attention but the visitor decides to click on the ad for Company A. Google would charge Company A $9.21.

If company B raised their maximum bid price from $9.20 to $11.51, then they would go to position one and so it goes for all advertisers in this section.

The art to achieving greatest success is your ability to word your ad in such a way as to attract greater interest from the visitor. In one of my previous post, I gave specific examples about the results achieved from reversing the two lines in an ad and the dramatic impact this had on the CTR (Click Through Rate).

There is a place for SEM in every marketing plan but the art to securing the results is in your ability to use the DNA Thought Process to construct your ads with maximum appeal. If you don’t get this right then you are going to be spending more than you need.

So How do you become a millionaire?

Start with 10 million dollars and run a SEM program with a keyword bid price of $10.50.

The alternative to SEM is DNO the SEO Revolution. The ability to land a permanent page one ranking for less than $100 and the best part is all you have to do is sit back and reap the rewards. No defending your position, no higher payments, no more SEM, no more SEO just additional profits on your bottom line instead of Google’s, because believe me they have enough with their 46 Billion Dollar cash reserves 37% profit margins and 33% year to date revenue growth.