SEM is using and utilising search engines to effectively market your company on the internet to satisfy your business and marketing objectives.

SEM encompasses three main methods:

• Search engine optimization
• Pay per click advertising
• Paid inclusion

Search engine optimization

seeks to improve page position and rankings for your chosen keywords and keyword phrases in search engine results pages (SERPs). A number of methods are  used from lbuilding your site with lean and efficient page code to relevant, interesting and useful page content focussed on visitors needs.

Pay per click advertising

uses sponsored search engine listings to drive traffic to a web site. As an advertiser you bid for search terms, and the search engine ranks ads based on a competitive auction as well as other factors. Your ads are returned on search results pages when your bid keywords are used as a search term.

Paid inclusion

can provide a guarantee that the website is included in the search engine's natural listings. However, as of last year, 2006, the leading search engine, Google, no longer offers this service option.

The issue with 'paid inclusion' was, apart from the cost, there is no guarantee that paid for inclusion will result in higher page positions only that it will be included in searches.