SEM 'most popular type of online ads for small firms'

28th July 2008

Search engine marketing (SEM) is "by far" the most popular form of internet advertising for small companies, it has been claimed.

Writing in the Small Talk section of HartfordBusiness.com, Rhonda Abrams said that such advertising allows organisations to pay to have their sites appear adjacent to search results when an internet user types a keyword into a search engine.

She added: "One of the great things about SEM ads is you pay only for results. You're charged on a pay-per-click basis - just for those who've actually clicked on your ad."

The expert went on to advise small firms to take their time and to pay careful attention when engaging in SEM.

She said that, in order to be success, such advertising takes more thought than putting up a banner ad or getting a listing in a directory.

Meanwhile, Mark Jackson of Search Engine Watch recently suggested that marketers can boost search engine optimisation by improving the user experience on their websites.