NATDA Magazine Jan/Feb 2017 | Page 44

Like most trailer dealers , you ’ ve probably struggled at some point to come up with a way to generate new leads . You want to get your business in front of as many eyes as possible , but just simply having a website is not enough .
Did you know that , in a case like this , you can punch up the presence of your existing site simply by correctly using Search Engine Marketing , or SEM ?
With SEM , you can land your site on the top of search engine results pages by using paid advertising . Imagine your website going from being on the third or fourth page of search results to being the very first thing potential customers see . SEM can accomplish this and more , allowing you to compete with the top websites , gain more clicks and customers , and move more trailers off your lot .
A Closer Look at SEM There are lots of SEM platforms to choose from but Google AdWords is by far the most popular . If you use AdWords , your ads will get massive amounts of visibility . After all , Google is the most popular of all the search engines , accounting for 1.6 billion estimated unique visitors in Oct . 2016 , compared to Bing ’ s second-place 400 million .
With AdWords , you can set and manage your own advertising budget , choose your own keywords and write your own ads . You can target your ads to display only in certain geographical locations , languages , or days / times . Then , using your settings , Google will start placing your ads in search results pages . Best of all ? You only pay for ad clicks , not ad views . You can also use the Google Display Network to extend your ad presence beyond search results pages to sites like YouTube , Gmail , Blogger , and more using either keywords or topics . Used correctly , AdWords can be an extremely cost-effective way to reach new customers . In fact , businesses make an average of $ 2 for every $ 1 they spend on AdWords and , with the right strategy , it ’ s possible to see even greater returns .
Running an AdWords Campaign Now that we ’ ve covered in some detail how SEM works and what it can do for your business , let ’ s talk for a bit about SEM account management . If you don ’ t have the time or expertise to manage your own SEM campaigns , finding the right account manager can be crucial .
For trailer dealers , probably the most important thing to look for in an SEM account manager is someone familiar with the
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