Search engine marketing: what to know

What the job involves, what changes the price, and what to ask a pro.

What search engine marketing is

A search engine marketer sets up and manages paid search ads, researching keywords, writing ad copy, building landing pages and adjusting bids so that ads reach people who are searching for what you sell. Businesses hire search ad managers when they want paid visibility for specific searches or need the account run and reported properly.

Signs you need it

  • You want to appear for specific searches now, and organic results will take time to build
  • Your paid search account is running, but nobody can explain which keywords bring in customers
  • Your ads send people to a generic home page, and the visitors leave without contacting you
  • You are launching a new service or location and need searches tested quickly
  • You have spent on search ads before and the account was not tracked properly

What the pro does

  • Review your offer, your service area, your competitors and the searches your customers use
  • Build the keyword groups, the negative keywords and the match types for each campaign
  • Write the ad copy and the extensions for each group, checking the wording against the platform's rules
  • Set up or improve the landing pages so the ad's promise matches what the visitor sees
  • Set the bids and budgets, and adjust them as the data shows which searches perform
  • Report the results with the clicks, calls, forms and costs, and recommend the next changes

What changes the price

Every job is different, so we do not publish prices. These are the things that move the quote up or down.

  • The number of campaigns, ad groups and keywords the account needs
  • The number of locations, services and languages the ads cover
  • Whether the specialist must build new landing pages or only use existing ones
  • How much tracking setup is needed to connect calls and forms to the account
  • How often the account is reviewed and how many changes each review requires
  • The competitiveness of the searches, which changes how much work the account needs

What a written quote should spell out

  • The campaigns, the services and the locations covered
  • The tracking setup for calls and forms, and who sets it up
  • The landing page work included, and the number of pages
  • The reporting schedule and the measures the reports include
  • Who controls the ad account and the payment method, and how access ends

Questions to ask before you hire

  • Will I own the ad account and the data, or will it stay in your account?
  • How will you decide which searches to bid on, and how do you keep wasted clicks down?
  • How will you track calls and forms, and what will you show me each month?
  • Which landing pages will you build, and who approves the wording?
  • What is the minimum budget the account needs to produce useful data?
  • Will you tell me when a campaign is not working and recommend stopping it?

Red flags

  • Asks you to put the ad account in their name only, with no access for you
  • Promises a top position for your ads or a set number of leads
  • Reports only clicks and impressions, not calls, forms or sales
  • Asks for a large budget commitment before a test is run

What you can do yourself

You can set up a small test campaign in a search platform's guided setup, use the keyword ideas the platform shows and set a daily limit you can afford. Hire a search ad specialist when the account has several services or locations, when the spending is large enough that wasted clicks cost real money or when your landing pages need work to convert visitors.

Licenses and permits

No license is usually required for search engine marketing. Ask for examples of account reports with the client details removed, references and a clear explanation of how the account will be tracked and who controls it; check with your state or local business licensing office if the specialist operates as a registered business.

Search engine marketing questions

Will I be charged for the ad clicks as well as the management?

Yes, the ad platform charges for clicks or impressions in the way the platform sets. The management fee is separate. Ask for both in writing before you start.

Who owns the ad account?

Ask for the account to be created in your name or transferred to you when the work ends. Keep your own login access at all times.

How soon will I know if the ads work?

Usually after enough clicks and calls to show a pattern. Ask the specialist what volume they need before they can judge a campaign, and agree on the review dates.

Pro reviewers

Pros who offer search engine marketing remotely can improve this guide, like Wikipedia. We check every edit before it goes live. Every approved edit is credited in the edit history and on the pro's profile.

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