Search Engine Marketing Curriculum

SEM

History of Search Engine Marketing

1990s: Early forms of online advertising emerge with the rise of search engines like Yahoo and AltaVista.
2000: Google AdWords launches, introducing pay-per-click (PPC) advertising and revolutionizing search engine marketing.
2005: SEM gains traction as businesses recognize the value of targeted, keyword-based ads and measurable ROI.
Evolution: Advanced with tools like real-time bidding, ad extensions, audience targeting, automation, and AI-driven optimization.
Current use: Widely used by marketers and businesses to increase visibility on search engines, drive website traffic, and boost conversions through paid search campaigns.

Module 1: Introduction to SEM

  • What is SEM? (SEO vs SEM vs PPC)
  • Benefits of SEM for businesses
  • SEM ecosystem: Search, Display, Shopping, Video, Local Ads
  • How search engines handle paid advertising
  • Overview of Google Ads, Bing Ads, Amazon Ads

Module 2: Google Ads Fundamentals

  • Introduction to Google Ads interface
  • Campaign types (Search, Display, Shopping, Video, Discovery, Performance Max)
  • Ad Auction system: Ad Rank & Quality Score
  • CTR, CPC, CPM, CPA explained
  • Campaign structure (Account → Campaign → Ad Groups → Ads → Keywords)
  • Setting up billing & payment

Module 3: Keyword Research for Paid Adsl

  • Importance of keywords in SEM
  • Match types: Broad, Phrase, Exact, Negative keywords
  • Keyword Planner tool (Google Ads)
  • Competitor keyword analysis (SEMrush, Ahrefs, SpyFu)
  • Grouping & mapping keywords for campaigns

Module 4: Search Campaigns (PPC Advertising)

  • Creating a search campaign from scratch
  • Writing effective ad copy (Headlines, Descriptions, Display Path)
  • Ad extensions (sitelinks, callouts, structured snippets, call, location, price, promotion)
  • Responsive Search Ads vs Expanded Text Ads
  • Dynamic Search Ads (DSA) setup & optimization
  • A/B testing ad variations

Module 5: Display Advertising

  • What is Google Display Network (GDN)?
  • Banner & image ads formats
  • Audience targeting (demographics, affinity, custom intent, remarketing lists)
  • Placement targeting (websites, YouTube, apps)
  • Responsive display ads creation
  • Creative best practices

Module 6: Shopping Ads (E-commerce SEM)

  • Introduction to Google Merchant Center
  • Creating product feed (CSV/XML)
  • Linking Merchant Center with Google Ads
  • Shopping campaign setup (Standard vs Smart)
  • Optimizing product titles, descriptions, and images
  • Bid strategies for shopping ads

Module 7: Video Advertising (YouTube Ads)

  • YouTube Ads formats: Skippable, Non-skippable, Bumper, In-stream, Discovery
  • Creating YouTube campaigns in Google Ads
  • Audience targeting on YouTube (interests, custom audiences, remarketing)
  • Video ad creation best practices
  • Measuring performance (View Rate, CPV, Engagement)

Module 8: Remarketing & Retargeting

  • What is remarketing?
  • Setting up remarketing lists in Google Ads
  • Dynamic remarketing for e-commerce
  • Cross-device remarketing strategies
  • Remarketing with display, search, and video campaigns
  • Frequency capping & audience segmentation

Module 9: Bid Strategies & Budget Management

  • Manual CPC vs Automated bidding
  • Smart Bidding strategies: Target CPA, Target ROAS, Maximize Conversions, Maximize Clicks
  • Portfolio bidding strategies
  • Budget allocation across campaigns
  • Dayparting (Ad scheduling) & Geo-targeting
  • Device-level bid adjustments

Module 10: Analytics, Tracking & Conversion Optimization

  • Linking Google Analytics with Google Ads
  • Conversion tracking setup (via Google Tag Manager, GA4, or code snippets)
  • Understanding attribution models (Last Click, First Click, Linear, Time Decay, Data-Driven)
  • Setting up Goals & Events in GA4
  • Measuring campaign ROI
  • CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization) basics

Module 11: Advanced SEM Strategies

  • Performance Max campaigns explained
  • Smart campaigns & Local service ads
  • Audience layering (demographics + intent + remarketing)ads
  • Competitor targeting strategies
  • Call-only campaigns & local ads
  • Multi-channel advertising (Search + Display + Video synergy)
  • SEM automation with scripts & AI

Module 12: Other Paid Ad Platforms

  • Microsoft Advertising (Bing Ads)
  • Amazon Advertising basics
  • LinkedIn Ads overview
  • Facebook & Instagram Ads (Meta Ads) vs SEM
  • TikTok & Snapchat Ads overview

Module 13: SEM Tools & Reporting

  • Google Ads Editor
  • SEMrush, SpyFu, WordStream, Optmyzr
  • Google Data Studio (Looker Studio) reporting dashboards
  • Automated reporting best practices
  • KPIs to track (CTR, CPC, Conversion Rate, Quality Score, ROAS, ROI)

Module 14: SEM Audit & Case Studies

  • Auditing Google Ads accounts
  • Identifying wasted ad spend
  • Improving Quality Score
  • Case studies: E-commerce, Local business, SaaS, Service industry
  • Creating client-ready SEM audit reports

Practical Projects

  • Create a live Google Ads Search Campaign
  • Design a Display Ad campaign with audience targeting
  • Setup & optimize a Shopping Campaign for e-commerce
  • Run a YouTube Video Ad campaign
  • Implement remarketing campaign with display ads
  • Generate a SEM performance report with recommendations

Why Learn SEM?

Learning Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is essential for anyone looking to succeed in the digital marketing space. SEM helps businesses gain immediate visibility by placing their ads at the top of search engine results, ensuring they reach potential customers right when they're searching. It offers precise targeting options based on keywords, location, device, and user behavior, allowing marketers to reach the right audience with the right message. Unlike SEO, SEM delivers fast results and measurable outcomes, enabling you to track every click, impression, and conversion to optimize your return on investment. As a high-demand skill in today’s job market, mastering SEM opens up career opportunities across digital agencies, e-commerce companies, and global brands.

Future Scope After Learning Adobe Illustrator

The future scope of Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is highly promising, as businesses increasingly invest in digital advertising to reach their target audiences. By mastering SEM, you can pursue careers as a Digital Marketing Specialist, PPC Analyst, SEM Manager, Performance Marketing Expert, or Growth Marketer, with opportunities across industries such as e-commerce, tech, finance, healthcare, education, and travel. With the rise of AI-driven advertising, automation tools, and data-driven decision-making, SEM professionals are in high demand globally. The ability to drive measurable results, increase brand visibility, and optimize ad spend ensures strong and sustainable career growth for students, marketers, and business professionals alike.

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  • Linking Google Analytics with Google Ads
  • Conversion tracking setup (via Google Tag Manager, GA4, or code snippets)
  • Understanding attribution models (Last Click, First Click, Linear, Time Decay, Data-Driven)
  • Setting up Goals & Events in GA4
  • Measuring campaign ROI
  • CRO (Conversion Rate Optimization) basics