Getting started with search engine advertising

The 2 biggest search engines are Google (93% market share in the Netherlands) and Bing.

What is SEA?

With SEA, you pay to appear at the top of search results in order to get more visitors to your website. The search engine auctions the ad spots between providers. When your ad wins the auction, it shows up in the search engine. You only pay when a visitor clicks through to your website.

Two factors determine who wins the ad spot in an auction:

• The quality score a search engine like Google or Bing gives your website. The search engine determines your quality score by looking at whether the keyword, your ad, and the landing page on your website are a good match.
• The amount you are willing to pay per click on your ad.

Why use search engine advertising

The benefits of SEA are:

• You rank higher in search results. Potential customers therefore see you faster.
• You reach the people looking for your product or service.
• You decide the budget. If you want, you can start with a small amount. And if you want to use more or less, you can adjust it immediately.
• You can place several ads at the same time and view the performance per ad. Such as the number of clicks or the number of people who saw it.
• You can quickly see how an ad is performing. You can then adjust your campaign if necessary.

The disadvantages of SEA are:

• When you stop using SEA, you are immediately no longer visible and you get fewer new visitors to your website.
• It costs money. It is not cheap to buy an ad spot at the top of a frequently used search term. This can quickly deplete your marketing budget.
• You are dependent on the auction. If a competitor pays more and the keyword, ad, and landing page match better, you will not be visible.

Think about your goal

Think about what you want to achieve with your ad. More brand awareness? More customers? Or do you want to sell a product? And how do you want to achieve this? For example, you want potential customers to fill in a quotation form, buy something directly from you, or subscribe to your newsletter.

Preparations

Before you can set up SEA, you need your own website with a clear desription of your product or service. From your ad, you refer to a landing page on your website where visitors can immediately take action. For example, a landing page with a quotation form or a landing page about the product you are advertising. A landing page that connects well with your ad ensures a higher quality score. Which in turn means you have a greater chance of getting an ad spot in the auction

Get started with SEA 

You can outsource SEA to a marketing agency, but by going through the following steps, you can get started yourself. For each search engine, the order of the steps will differ.

Step 1: Create an account

If you want to advertise in Google, then use Google Ads. If you prefer to advertise in Bing, then use Microsoft Advertising (formerly Bing Ads). 

Step 2: Determine your target group

Decide who your ad is for. Who is your target audience? Consider location, age, interests, and also when they are online.

3. Set your budget

You pay per click on your ad. How high and whether your ad shows up depends on your price and keywords. In the beginning, it is often a question of trying out what works. One option is to start with a small amount and then keep an eye on how the ads perform. Based on statistics, adjust the amount. Later, you can make a better calculation: 

• See how many clicks on your ad generate a sale
• See what you earn on average per customer (price minus the costs incurred for your product or service)
• Then you will also know how many clicks you need to before your ad earns you something.

4. Decide on your keywords

The more suitable your keywords, the higher you will be seen in the search engine. Even if your competitors pay more per click, you can get a higher position. You usually start with your brand name (for instance, ‘Johnson’s Plumbing).). Do keyword research for the other keywords. Think about what your target audience is searching for and choose the most appropriate keywords for your ad. For example, if you are a plumber, ‘plumber wanted’ or  ‘plumber near me’ are more relevant than ‘bathrooms’. 

5. Write your ad copy

Ads on Google and Bing, for example, consist of three parts: a title, a display URL, and a description. 

• Write a catchy title. Use no more than 30 characters and use your main keyword.
• Include the URL of your landing page. Make sure this page matches what the visitor is looking for.
• Write your ad copy. Talk about your product or service, using no more than 90 characters. Stress what makes your business unique. Instead of writing ‘I sell pens’, write, ‘I sell the cheapest pens’ or ‘I have the fastest delivery times on pens’. End with a call-to-action such as ‘Order Now’, ‘Reserve Now’, or ‘Download a Quote’.

You can add different titles and descriptions  to every ad. The search engine displays the different pieces of copy and automatically chooses the one that performs best.

6. Set up your campaign

Before submitting your ad, check everything again. If everything is correct, you can start the campaign.

7. Check your ads regularly

Your ad statistics will be available within 1 day. Keep an eye on your budget so you don't spend more than you planned. Your ads will perform better if you update or improve them regularly. Check your ads for the following statistics:

• How often are your ads being seen? If that number is low, consider increasing your bid (see step 3) and changing your keywords
• Your click-through rate (CTR). If too few visitors are clicking through from your ad to your website, look at the tips in step 5 and improve your ad copy.
• Your conversion rate. In other words: how many clicks contributed to your goal, such as a sale or a quote request. If that number is low, improve your landing page. Make sure that the content on your landing page matches your ad, and put a clear call-to-action, like ‘book now’ or ‘order now’ on the page.

Difference between SEO and SEA

SEO, search engine optimisation, is all about improving your website so that it appears higher in search results. It takes time to see results, but once your site ranks well, it can bring a lot of free visitors. 

SEA, search engine advertising, costs money, but can get results quickly. 
It can be useful to do both SEO and SEA. This is often done to get the best results from both methods.

If you have a specific question about finding clients, contact the  KVK Advice Team, or check out our Acquiring Customers page.