DM Unit4
DM Unit4
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is a digital marketing strategy that involves promoting websites
by increasing their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs) through paid advertising.
SEM primarily includes Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising, where advertisers bid on keywords to
display their ads on search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
● The concept of search engines emerged with Yahoo! (1994) and Google (1998).
● Early search engines ranked websites based on keyword frequency and metadata.
● Paid search advertising began with GoTo.com (1998), which introduced the
Pay-Per-Click (PPC) model.
● Google launched AdWords (2000), introducing an auction-based system for ad
placements.
● Google refined its Quality Score, ranking ads based on relevance rather than just bid
amounts.
● Microsoft and Yahoo introduced Bing Ads (formerly Yahoo Search Marketing).
● Ad Extensions (site links, call buttons, etc.) enhanced ad performance.
● Introduction of retargeting/remarketing to re-engage visitors.
Advantages:
✔ Automatically updates search results.
✔ Covers a vast amount of web content.
✔ Uses algorithms for fast and accurate results.
Disadvantages:
✘ Can index low-quality or irrelevant content.
✘ Websites with poor SEO may not rank well.
2. Human-Powered Directories
These are manual search directories where website owners submit their sites, and human
editors review them before listing.
Examples:
● DMOZ (Open Directory Project) – One of the largest human-edited directories (now
closed).
● Yahoo! Directory – A former major directory (shut down in 2014).
● Best of the Web (BOTW) – Still active, offering paid submissions.
Advantages:
✔ Ensures high-quality, manually reviewed content.
✔ Organized categorization for easy browsing.
Disadvantages:
✘ Limited database compared to crawler-based search engines.
✘ Requires manual submission and approval, which takes time.
Examples:
● Google – Uses AI algorithms alongside human quality raters.
● Bing – Combines automated indexing with manual oversight.
Advantages:
✔ Delivers high-quality results with automation and human input.
✔ Reduces spam by filtering low-quality content.
Disadvantages:
✘ Human moderation takes time, slowing updates.
✘ May still show biased or incomplete results.
Examples:
● Dogpile – Fetches results from Google, Bing, and Yahoo.
● Startpage – Uses Google’s search index while maintaining privacy.
● Yippy – Clusters results from multiple sources for better categorization.
Advantages:
✔ Provides a broader range of results.
✔ Reduces bias by combining multiple sources.
✔ Often enhances privacy by not tracking users.
Disadvantages:
✘ Limited control over ranking since it depends on external engines.
✘ Slower search speeds due to multiple data sources.
Google marketing
Google Marketing refers to the advertising and promotional strategies businesses use within
Google's ecosystem to reach their target audience, drive traffic, and boost sales. It includes a
variety of tools and platforms offered by Google for paid and organic marketing.
1. Key Components of Google Marketing
Key Features:
● Business listing with name, address, phone number (NAP).
● Customer reviews and ratings.
● Insights on user engagement.
Benefits of SEO:
✔ Free organic traffic.
✔ Long-term visibility and credibility.
✔ Higher conversion rates than paid ads.
Key Features:
● Tracks visitor demographics and behavior.
● Measures campaign performance.
● Analyzes user journey and conversion rates.
Key Uses:
● Tracks events like button clicks and form submissions.
● Integrates with Google Analytics and Google Ads.
● Helps in remarketing campaigns.
Key Features:
● Identifies indexing issues.
● Provides keyword ranking data.
● Tracks backlinks and mobile usability.
How It Works:
● Website owners place ad codes on their site.
● Google serves relevant ads based on content.
● Owners earn revenue per click or impression.
The process of improving the quality and quantity of website traffic from organic search results.
1. Types of SEO
A. On-Page SEO (Optimizing website content & structure)
This focuses on elements within the website that influence rankings.
Key Factors:
✔ Keyword Research – Finding relevant search terms users are looking for.
✔ Title Tags & Meta Descriptions – Optimized HTML elements for better click-through rates.
✔ Content Optimization – High-quality, engaging, and keyword-rich content.
✔ URL Structure – Short, descriptive, and SEO-friendly URLs.
✔ Internal Linking – Linking relevant pages within the website to improve navigation.
✔ Mobile-Friendliness – Ensuring a responsive design for mobile users.
✔ Page Speed Optimization – Faster loading times improve rankings.
Key Factors:
✔ XML Sitemaps – Helps search engines find website pages.
✔ Robots.txt File – Controls which pages search engines can crawl.
✔ Schema Markup (Structured Data) – Helps search engines understand content better.
✔ HTTPS (SSL Security) – Secure websites rank higher.
✔ Fixing Crawl Errors – Resolving issues in Google Search Console.
2. Benefits of SEO
✔ Cost-Effective – No need for paid ads, long-term results.
✔ Builds Credibility & Trust – Higher rankings establish brand authority.
✔ Increases Organic Traffic – More visitors without additional costs.
✔ Better User Experience – SEO improvements make websites more user-friendly.
✔ Higher Conversion Rates – SEO attracts users who are actively searching for solutions.
Keyword Research
Keyword research is the process of finding and analyzing search terms that users enter into
search engines. It helps in optimizing website content for better search rankings.
1. Types of Keywords
A. Short-Tail Keywords (Head Keywords)
These are broad, generic, and high-traffic keywords that usually consist of 1-2 words.
Examples:
"Shoes"
"Digital marketing"
"Smartphone"
Characteristics:
✔ High search volume → More people search for them.
✔ High competition → Difficult to rank for.
✔ Lower conversion rate → Less specific, attracting general traffic.
- Consist of 1 or 2 words
- Used for researching before buying
- It's a general search queries
B. Long-Tail Keywords
These are specific, detailed search phrases that usually consist of 3 or more words.
Examples:
"Best running shoes for flat feet"
"Affordable digital marketing courses online"
"Budget smartphones under ₹20,000"
Characteristics:
✔ Lower search volume → Fewer searches but highly relevant.
✔ Lower competition → Easier to rank for.
✔ Higher conversion rate → More targeted traffic with clear intent.
- Consist of 3-5 or more words
- Easier to rank higher
- Specific longer queries
Start with long-tail keywords to rank faster and gain visibility, then move to short tail keywords
Google Ads (formerly Google AdWords) is an online advertising platform where businesses can
display ads on Google Search, YouTube, and other websites in the Google Display Network. It
operates on a pay-per-click (PPC) model, meaning you pay only when someone clicks on your
ad.
Types of Google Ads Campaigns
1. Search Ads – Text-based ads that appear on Google search results when users search for
related keywords.
2. Display Ads – Image-based ads shown on websites in Google’s Display Network.
3. Shopping Ads – Ads for eCommerce products that appear in Google Shopping.
4. Video Ads – Ads that appear on YouTube before or during videos.
5. App Promotion Ads – Ads designed to drive app downloads.
6. Performance Max – AI-driven ad campaigns that run across all Google platforms.
Key competents
Components Description
Manual CPC Full control You set the cost-per-click bid manually.
Maximize Clicks Traffic Google sets bids to get the most clicks
within your budget.
Target CPA (Cost Per Leads/Sales Sets bids to get conversions at your
Acquisition) target cost per acquisition.
1. Set Goals – Define your ad objectives (brand awareness, leads, sales, etc.).
2. Choose Campaign Type – Search, Display, Shopping, Video, or Performance Max.
3. Select Keywords – Use Google Keyword Planner to find relevant keywords.
4. Set Bidding Strategy – Choose manual or automated bidding.
5. Create Ads – Write compelling ad copy with a clear CTA (Call-To-Action).
6. Optimize Landing Page – Ensure a fast, user-friendly page for better conversions.
7. Monitor & Optimize – Track performance using Google Ads Dashboard and Google Analytics.
Google Tag Manager (GTM) is a free tool from Google that allows you to manage and deploy
various tracking codes (tags) on your website without modifying the website's code. It simplifies
adding analytics, marketing, and tracking scripts, making it easier for marketers and developers
to manage tags efficiently.
✔️ No Need for Coding – Marketers can add tracking codes without relying on developers.
✔️ Faster Website Performance – GTM loads tags asynchronously, improving speed.
✔️ Easy Tag Management – All tracking codes are managed in one place.
✔️ Improved Data Accuracy – Tracks user behavior, conversions, and events effectively.
✔️ Supports Multiple Platforms – Works with Google Analytics, Google Ads, Facebook Pixel,
LinkedIn Insights, etc.
Tags- Snippets of code that send data to platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel).
Triggers- Define when and where tags should fire (e.g., page views, clicks, form submissions).
Variables- Store values like click text, URLs, or Google Analytics tracking IDs for dynamic
tagging.
Data Layer- Stores structured data that GTM can use for advanced tracking.
How to Set Up Google Tag Manager
Google Analytics 4 (GA4)- Tracks website traffic, user behavior, and conversions.
Google Ads Conversion Tracking- Measures ad conversions like purchases or form
submissions.
Facebook Pixel- Tracks Facebook ad performance and user actions.
LinkedIn Insight Tag- Measures LinkedIn ad performance and website visitors.
Hotjar- Captures heatmaps and session recordings.
Custom HTML Tags- Add third-party scripts like chatbots, pop-ups, or custom tracking codes.
Purpose Manages and deploys tracking Analyzes website traffic and user
scripts. behavior.
Coding Required? No, it simplifies tracking code Requires manual event tracking
management. setup.
Event Tracking Tracks clicks, form submissions, Collects user data but needs
video views, etc. manual setup for events.
Flexibility Supports multiple tags (GA, Only tracks Google Analytics data.
Facebook Pixel, etc.).
✅ Use a Naming Convention – Name your tags, triggers, and variables clearly.
✅ Minimize the Number of Tags – Too many tags can slow down your site.
✅ Test in Preview Mode – Always verify before publishing changes.
✅ Use Built-in Variables – Save time by leveraging GTM’s predefined variables.
✅ Keep a Backup – Use GTM’s version history to restore previous setups if needed.
Conclusion
Google Tag Manager makes tracking user interactions easier, improves marketing campaign
performance, and helps businesses make data-driven decisions. If you're running Google Ads,
Google Analytics, or Facebook Ads, GTM is a must-have tool!
What is Remarketing?
Remarketing (also called Retargeting) is a digital marketing strategy that targets people who
have previously interacted with your website, app, or content but did not take a desired action,
such as making a purchase or signing up. It helps businesses reconnect with potential
customers and improve conversion rates.
1. User Visits Your Website or App– A visitor browses a product, service, or content.
2. Tracking Code Captures Data– A cookie or tracking pixel records their behavior.
3. User Leaves Without Converting– The visitor exits without completing the desired action.
4. Targeted Ads Are Shown – The user sees personalized ads on websites, social media, or
search results, reminding them of your brand.
Types of Remarketing
- Standard Remarketing– Shows ads to past visitors while they browse other websites.
- Dynamic Remarketing – Displays personalized ads featuring specific products or services a
user viewed.
- Search Ads Remarketing (RLSA) – Targets previous visitors when they search for related
terms on Google.
- Video Remarketing– Shows ads to users who interacted with your YouTube videos.
- Social Media Remarketing– Targets users who visited your website and later use platforms like
Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn.
- Email Remarketing – Re-engages users who opened but did not act on an email campaign.
Benefits of Remarketing
- Increases Conversions – Targets warm leads who are already interested in your brand.
- Enhances Brand Recall – Keeps your business top of mind.
- Improves ROI – Focuses on users who are more likely to convert, reducing wasted ad spend.
- Personalized Messaging – Delivers relevant ads based on a user’s past interactions.
1. Segment Your Audience – Show different ads to users based on their actions, such as
product viewers vs. cart abandoners.
2. Optimize Ad Frequency – Avoid overwhelming users with excessive ads by setting frequency
caps.
3. Use Engaging Ad Copy – Personalize messaging to match user intent and encourage them
to return.
4. Offer Incentives – Discounts, free trials, or limited-time offers can help convert hesitant
customers.
5. A/B Test Ads– Experiment with different visuals, CTAs, and offers to improve performance.
Imagine a user visits an online store, browses a pair of sneakers, but leaves without purchasing.
A few hours later, they see an ad for the same sneakers while scrolling through Facebook,
along with a 10% discount offer. The ad encourages them to revisit the website and complete
the purchase.
Generative AI with SEO and Paid Media
1. Generative AI in SEO:
- Automates content creation with tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, and SurferSEO.
- Enhances keyword research, search intent analysis, and content optimization.
- Improves meta tags, internal linking, and technical SEO for better rankings.
- Assists in voice search optimization, topic clustering, and competitor analysis.