Is search engine marketing a total stranger to you?
Every day, billions of internet users search online. Search engine marketing is understood to mean the way in which you can present your ads to these future customers where it will have an impact: at the best position on the first page of search results. You set your own budget and you only pay for the clicks made on your ad. SEM is, therefore, an affordable method for businesses of all sizes, including yours, to reach more potential customers.
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| Digital Media Marketing |
You are probably already taking a long time to operate your business. Microsoft Advertising, therefore, strives to help you effectively create, launch and manage SEM campaigns on Microsoft and our partner sites. Thanks to Microsoft Advertising, you can reach 17 million unique Internet users in France who carry out research from a desktop computer.
What is search engine marketing?
If you've ever noticed the ads showing at the top or to the right of search engine results pages, you already know what SEM is. When your ads are displayed in these optimal, high-visibility positions, your business can gain a competitive advantage. In addition, most Internet users only click on the first results that appear, which gives these prime locations a visual advantage to capture the attention of your future customers.
The mechanism is as follows:
People search online for a product or service
They enter search terms (called keywords) into search engines, such as Microsoft Bing.
These viewers discover your ad
If the keywords used in your ad match a search, your ad appears above or next to search results on Bing.
Your Potential Customers Take Action
You can set up your ad so that people call you, visit your website, or visit your store.
Check out our SEM glossary to learn about some of the most commonly used search engine marketing terms.
How much does SEM cost?
Illustration of monitors displaying a pie chart and data graph.
You control the cost of search engine marketing and don't have to pay anything to get your ad displayed. It is only when a user clicks on the ad that you are charged, an amount that cannot exceed what you indicated for that click. This is why SEM is also called pay-per-click because you only have to pay for the clicks your ad generates. No clicks, no fees.
Setting up Microsoft Advertising accounts is free and billing is flexible. You can choose between prepayment or post-payment methods, as well as different payment methods. If you have any doubts, free help is available to answer all your questions before launching your campaigns. You can also pause campaigns at any time. Remember, you're not charged until someone clicks on your ad.
You can further control your spending with bidding and targeting strategies.
Effective advertising strategies
Illustration of a search ad moving to the top position.Control costs by selecting your bids on your keywords
Keep in mind that people enter terms into search engines based on what interests them. The keywords and phrases you select for your campaigns largely determine whether your ad appears when people search online. However, be aware that other advertisers may also use the same keywords. When it does, they are competing with your ad campaign. How can you get the upper hand? One of the methods available to you is keyword bidding.
The amount of your bid on a keyword helps you position your ad higher than others. Therefore, you need to decide on an auction that you think best represents that customer's value to your business.
You can also control costs by focusing on your most relevant leads, through targeting.
Target the most relevant customers for your business
You already know who your best customers are and where they are. Microsoft Advertising, therefore, allows you to choose when and how to reach them. Control where your ads are displayed: in a city, state, country, or globally. Further, refine your targeting by indicating when your ads will appear and specifying the devices on which they should appear. By targeting only your most relevant leads, you reduce unnecessary spending.
After a while, you can use reporting tools to find out which of your different strategies work best and refine your targeting and other parameters accordingly. This process has a name: campaign optimization.