SEM- Got Questions?

Ferocious Media Analysts are dedicated to assisting clients in growing their businesses. Through our comprehensive digital media marketing services, we work to achieve your goals and help your business flourish.

One of the key components in driving traffic to your business is Search Engine Marketing. If you are confused by the concept, you are not alone. Many people do not understand the SEM process, but still recognize the importance. To clarify, Search Marketing is the process of gaining traffic and visibility from search engines through paid search listings.

Are you looking to learn more about Search Engine Marketing? Please see the following frequently asked questions:

Q: Why don’t I see my ads?

A: If you are searching directly in Google (as opposed to using the Ad Preview Tool) you may not see your own ads. This is because you are frequently conducting related searches. Google recognizes your device’s IP address and search history and will not continue to show you the same ads. If you are using the Ad Preview Tool, please make sure you have adjusted the location settings to the appropriate area. Another reason why your ads may not be showing is because your account may be limited by budget. For the rest of the day, Google is only going to show your ads occasionally because most of your daily budget has been spent. This also means that you will not show for your more expensive keywords. If your daily budget is exhausted, that means that you have already spent all of your allotted budget for the day and your ads will not show again until tomorrow.

Q: Why am I paying for branded clicks? / Why am I paying for my name?

A: Users will often find your website through one of your non-branded keywords and take note of your brand name. This means that someone may find you through a non-branded term, and then search for your brand name later. Because users do not always call immediately after the first visit to your site (proxy), we always recommend running brand campaigns. Most clients’ branded keywords cost less than $1.00 on average. Another reason to pay for branded clicks is that your competitors can bid on your name. If your competition shows in a search for your name but you do not, you run the risk of losing business. Lastly, users searching for your name already know they are interested in your service. Cost Per Click is generally quite low, making this a cost-effective and easy way to retain customers.

Q: Why are there plus signs (+) in my keywords?

A: This means that we are using a Broad-Modified match type. Each word that begins with a plus sign must be included in the user’s search term for your ad to show. The order of the words in a Broad-Modified keyword does not need to match the order of the user’s search term.

Q: Why is my ad not in the #1 spot at the top of the page?

A: An average position of 1 is generally the most expensive rank and often times users are less likely to click on an ad in spot 1 over the ads in spots 2 and 3. Often times, users feel that ads closer to the organic listings are more reliable.

Q: Why do my ads say {KeyWord:}?

A: This is a line of code used for dynamic keyword insertion. When ads use keyword insertion, the keyword within your account that is matched to the user’s search query will be displayed as the ad’s headline. Using dynamic keyword insertion allows for your ads to be more relevant and ads using dynamic keyword insertion will usually have a high Click Through Rate.

Q: Why is my Cost Per Click so high?

A: Cost Per Click differs by vertical and geographic region. The more competitive your vertical and populated your target area, the higher your Cost Per Click will probably be. For example: a plastic surgeon in New York City will pay more per click than a plastic surgeon in a small town in Iowa. A few examples of very high Cost Per Click vertical are lawyers (some as high as $100) and plumbers (average $20-$50). Although clicks are expensive, plumbers and lawyers tend to have an above average Click-to-Contact ratio. As a quick fix, to lower your Cost Per Click we can lower bids to aim for lower ad positions (right side vs. search results page top placement). Also, as we optimize your campaign, Cost Per Click may decrease as your accounts builds data and quality.

Q: Why is my Cost Per Click higher than when I managed my own campaign?

A: There is a possibility you were bidding too low for keywords. We use bid management tools to ensure we are bidding enough and not too high for top ad placement. We also target many keywords using all match types. We bid higher for exact and phrase match keywords, as these tend to be more relevant to users with higher conversion rates.

Q: What happens if I do not spend my monthly budget?

A: If you don’t spend your budget, the remaining balance will get rolled over to the following month.

Q: Why is the phone number on my ad different than my actual number?

A: Tracking phone calls from SEM is one of the best ways to measure the success of your campaign. To do so, we send ads to a site that mirrors your site but has a different phone number. That phone number automatically forwards to your number. We also record phone calls for you to listen to the types of inquiries received from SEM.

Q: What is your optimization process? How often do you optimize my campaign?

A: Each month, your dedicated account representative analyzes your data and performance results to make changes and/or campaign additions. We look at the search queries that resulted in clicks, and add negative and positive keywords based off that data. We see which keywords are driving online conversions and phone calls and bid higher on those if necessary. We see which keywords may be spending money but are resulting in a low volume of contacts and pause them. We also change ads by taking elements of the highest performing text ads, testing different headlines, unique selling points and calls to action.

Do you have more questions regarding Search Engine Marketing? Contact Natalie, our Client Success Specialist, at natalie.catavero@drivenlocal.com or reach out to your analyst!

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