There are two main branches of SEM. The first is an organic (organic web marketing) or natural way of showing up on search engines. These are listings that appear without anyone paying for them.

The other side of SEM is paid search, also known as pay per click (PPC). This is how search engines make money, by charging advertisers to show up beside natural searches based on the search query.

These two branches of SEM are not connected in any way. If you pay, your ad will be listed, but that does not mean your website will show up in a natural search. Much like the separation of church and state, these two divisions must be completely separate in order not to influence either side.

A newer aspect of SEM is the popular social media marketing. Social media marketing is both natural and paid, although paid social marketing faces some criticism due to the fact that paying for ads is an inherently non-social method of achieving traffic.

Overall the best method of achieving success in all of your search engine marketing services is to use a wide net of methods. No one type of SEM can be definitively labeled as the best method. Using paid, natural, and social strategies is highly recommended.

• Set-up your account.
• Set-up your campaign.
• Set-up specific Ad-Groups.
• Conduct some simple research using the keyword tool provided, and then determine the best and most appropriate search terms to focus on.
• Write your ads as they will appear to the search engine user. Ensure you use keywords that relate to the search terms you have chosen in the above step.
• Conduct some simple research regarding the average cost per click for first page positions for your chosen search terms, and specify your Bid Price for CCPC (Cost Per Clicks). The CPC ranges depending on demand and contest for the keyword or search term.