subject: Add Search Muscle To Your Marketing Strategy [print this page] Very few marketers consider Search Engine Marketing (SEM) when they plan or revise their marketing strategies. SEM comprises Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) and Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising and when these two online channels are combined your website can enjoy increased visibility on search engines and an increased percentage of successful lead acquisitions.
Increasingly, online channels are being incorporated into marketing strategies and many companies have seen the value of integrated marketing plans. An integrated marketing plan utilises channels from traditional and new media with the aim of closing the loop by producing consistent marketing messages on the different channels. PPC in particular acts as a great lead generation tool and as mentioned in a previous post, PPC can drive targeted traffic to your website in the short-term. This makes PPC a great marketing solution if you want to increase awareness for a specific promotion or event or drive targeted traffic to a specific page on your website.
SEO works to ensure that a website receives targeted organic traffic from search engines, but it can take some time for a website to acquire organic rankings. This is where PPC comes in. PPC can ensure that the website enjoys visibility on the SERPs for key-phrases the website is not yet ranking for through the SEO campaign.
If your company is working with an online marketing agency that implements and manages your SEO and PPC campaigns, they will most likely ensure that the necessary usability principles are present on your website. Usability consists of a number of factors and in essence great usability means that your website is easy to use, provides visitors with sufficient and easy-to-read information and includes clear calls to action.
To take it one step further, your brand could integrate social media into its marketing strategy. It is important to note that social media requires more than just a few minutes per day to update your statuses on various social networks. You will need a content strategy and to engage with your fans and followers on a continuous basis.
To sum it up: Integrated marketing campaigns are the name of the game. Your brand can't afford to ignore certain marketing channels, especially not the opportunities online channels present.
