Definition:
SEA, short for Search Engine Advertising, involves placing ads in the advertising spaces of search engines such as Google or Bing. It allows products, services or content to be presented to users whose searches relate to the offer.
Google Ads and Microsoft Advertising are platforms for managing this type of advertising. Search query selection and targeting settings help direct the ads, but they do not guarantee that every user intends to buy or that the campaign will be profitable.
Differences between SEM and SEA
The term SEM, Search Engine Marketing, has different uses. In its broad sense, it encompasses marketing in search engines, including both organic visibility through SEO and paid advertising through SEA. In professional practice, SEM is also frequently used to refer specifically to search advertising campaigns.
SEM and SEA can therefore be used interchangeably in certain contexts, although SEA identifies the advertising side more precisely. The distinction should not be reduced to treating every use of SEM to mean search advertising as incorrect.
SEA ads appear in advertising spaces on search engine results pages, or SERPs. Their position is determined by each platform’s advertising systems, not by the organic ranking of the advertised page. Paying for ads does not buy a better position in organic results.
Display ads on other websites do not become SEA simply because they are managed through Google Ads. A single platform can offer search advertising, Display and other channels.
Google Ads should not be confused with AdSense either. The former allows advertisers to purchase advertising; AdSense is intended for publishers who earn revenue by showing ads on their digital properties.
Objectives of Search Engine Advertising
SEA campaigns can aim to generate sales, enquiries, calls, registrations, downloads or newsletter subscriptions. Increasing visits can be an intermediate objective, but it does not necessarily mean acquiring more customers.
In Google Ads, auctions determine whether ads are shown. Factors include the bid, the quality and relevance of the ad and its landing page, the context of the search and other considerations. The explanation of Ad Rank distinguishes eligibility to appear from an ad’s position relative to other ads. Offering the highest bid does not guarantee appearing first.
Formats that can appear in search results include the following:
- Text ads: present messages and links related to the offer. In keyword-based campaigns, the keywords and their match types help determine the searches in which an ad can participate.
- Shopping ads: display product information, such as an image, title, price and shop. The historical name Product Listing Ads, or PLA, refers to product listings, not playlists. On Google, they use product data from Merchant Center to match searches, rather than a list of positive keywords selected by the advertiser.
Campaigns allow budgets, dates, schedules and targeting options to be configured according to the platform. Cost per conversion, value generated and lead quality help assess the results. SEA is one option within a marketing strategy, not an indispensable tool for every business.