Employers told of SEM benefit for branding

Search engine marketing (SEM) is easier to measure in terms of return on investment (ROI) than other media platforms, according to an expert.

Marc Engelsman, vice-president of client programmes and services at Digital Brand Expressions, suggested that SEM’s ability to transfer metrics “like conversions” offered marketers and those in charge of employer branding a reason for switching funds form “less trackable” methods such as print ads.

“Search is also relatively inexpensive compared to some of the other media, so it is not only a proven effective medium, it is remarkably efficient as well,” he added.

Mr Engelsman hinted that marketing managers and company bosses would consider pulling funding from one TV advert if the cost of it equates to a year’s worth of online advertising.

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A survey by Omniture revealed that 80 per cent of marketers valued the importance of measuring SEM, yet just 31 per cent knew how to analyse any results.

By Cameron Thomson