SEA stands for Search Engine Advertising and refers to paid advertising on search engines. Companies place adverts for selected search terms so that their listings appear as high as possible in the search results.
The aim of SEA is to reach potential customers at the very moment they are actively searching for a product, a service or a solution to a specific problem.
Typical components of an SEA campaign include:
- relevant search terms and keywords
- Advert copy
- specified target groups
- regional or temporal focus
- Daily and campaign budgets
- suitable landing pages
- Bids for advertising space
Advertisements are often categorised according to the Pay-per-click model billed. This means that costs are generally only incurred when users click on an advert.
A typical procedure looks like this:
| Step | Meaning |
| Select keywords | Specify the search queries for which the advert should appear |
| Create an advert | Communicate the benefits and what’s on offer as clearly as possible |
| Identify the target audience | Target adverts, for example, by location, device or interests |
| Set a budget | Set maximum spending limits and bids |
| Analysing results | Measuring and optimising clicks, enquiries and purchases |
SEA can help start-ups with the following:
- to build visibility quickly
- to reach relevant prospective customers in a targeted manner
- to test new products or markets
- to drive qualified traffic to the website
- To increase enquiries and sales
- to compare different messages and target audiences
Key performance indicators in SEA are:
- Impressions: How often was the advert displayed?
- Click-through rate: How many users clicked on the advert?
- Cost per click: What is the average cost per click?
- Conversion rate: How many visitors carry out the desired action?
- Cost per acquisition: How much does it cost to acquire a customer?
- Return on Ad Spend: How much turnover is generated by advertising expenditure?
SEA differs from SEO, or search engine optimisation:
| SEA | SEO |
| paid advertisements | organic search results |
| rapid visibility possible | The effects are usually only felt in the medium to long term |
| Costs are incurred through clicks or campaigns | no direct cost per click |
| Visibility usually comes down to the budget | Visibility may last for longer |
A common mistake is to run adverts without aligning the search intent, target audience and landing page. A high number of clicks does not automatically lead to new customers. What matters is whether the advert reaches relevant users and directs them to a suitable page where they can take the desired action.
innoWerft helps start-up founders identify target audiences and marketing channels, define campaign objectives and integrate SEA effectively into an overarching strategy for visibility, customer acquisition and growth.