Blog Post

What Is Search Engine Advertising - Does It Work?

  • By Michael Browning
  • •
  • 24 May, 2016
  • •

The Frequently Asked Questions Our Account Managers Receive

Over the past decade members of the Shenandoah Business Solutions team have received many questions about search engines and if advertising in them works. Our account managers have assembled the most frequently asked questions with our answers in hopes of helping you understand. Enjoy!

How does search engine advertising work?
Businesses bid on keyword phrases that consumers use in search engines. If a bid is high enough and the page the ad is linking to has a high enough page rank and the correct budget is committed, then the business website will appear in one of the top positions of the search results page. If a consumer clicks on the ad, then the business pays the bid price for the click. This is referred to as CPC or cost per click advertising. Some know it as pay-per-click advertising or ppc.

How do I know what amount to bid?
You should bid high enough to compete against others also bidding on the same phrases.

Do consumers everywhere see my ad?
You can choose who sees the ad based on the keyword phrases that are used and the geographic area someone lives.

What is Page Rank?
Page rank is a score given to a web page an ad is linking to based on the relevance of the information on the page as related to the ad.

How much budget should be allocated to search engine ads?
It depends on popularity of the search phrases and how much competition is bidding. It is best to utilize a professional if possible to avoid wasted budget dollars.

When do I pay my advertising bill?
Most businesses determine a budget then place the funds in an account with the search engine. Each time a consumer clicks on the ad, the cost is subtracted from the available funds in the account until depleted.

What other fees are associated with search advertising?
SBS charges a small set-up fee (waived for our monthly customers) and a percentage of the ad buy to manage the ad campaign.

How do I know if it's working?
If the phones are ringing and website leads are coming, that is the best way to know however you can also get traffic reports of how many consumers were exposed to your ad and how many clicked on the ad. You can also see which keyword phrases generated results. There is always an immediate increase in your website traffic.

How long does it take to get an ad running?
Usually less than a week depending on number of search phrases needed.

How long should I run an ad, and is there a minimum time commitment?
There is no minimum however we strongly recommend that our clients plan a 3 month campaign period unless they get too busy. Most of our clients run ads every month as part of their planned marketing budget.

Does this advertising always work?
If purchased correctly, most of the time. Remember you are only placing ads in front of people who have expressed an interest in your product or service. It will be the most effective form of targeting in your advertising plan.

For additional information on search engine advertising, do not hesitate to contact an account manager with Shenandoah Business Solutions. info@shenandoahbusinesssolutions.com

Have a Website?  Now Let’s Get to What’s Really Important - Your Digital Presence

By Michael Browning • 06 May, 2016
A Checklist To Help Any Business Owner

10 Reasons You Should Love Blogging

By Michael Browning • 13 Apr, 2016
Anyone can make one:
For better or worse, anyone can write a blog post about anything they want. Everyone has a voice and the best voices will rise to the top.

The writer can show their personality:
In blog posts, the writer has more leeway to add in their voice and personality than other types of writing.

Blogs are a great form of mass communication:
You can help people, learn new things, entertain your audience—the possibilities are endless and amazing. Blogging opens up all of these to a very wide audience.

You can make money:
Get the right blog going and you can make a lot of money through advertising and sponsored posts.

It allows people to craft better thoughts:
Instead of reading haphazard, uneducated Facebook statuses, it’s much better to see people’s thought process in a well-written blog post.

You can establish a community:
Blogging allows you to connect with other individuals who share the same interests. Sharing ideas and opinions within your community helps establish yourself as a thought leader.

Good for SEO:
Keeping content on your site fresh and relevant, you can use your blog to boost the search engine ranking (SEO) of your site and your business.

It brings people back to your site:
If your blog is strong enough and updated regularly, people will come back looking for more and bring traffic back to your site as well.

It’s free:
It costs you a grand total of zero dollars to post to the blog, so if you have something to say, there’s nothing to stop you.

You can establish yourself as a thought leader:
A blog is a great place for your original thoughts, and it can be a wonderful way to show off your individuality. If people like your ideas, you can become a thought leader in your industry!

What else do you love about blogs? Let me know!
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