Search Engine Marketing
Also called SEM
Search engine marketing: buying visibility on search results through paid ads, most commonly Google Ads, so you appear for chosen keywords. The paid counterpart to SEO.
Why it matters
SEM buys high-intent traffic instantly, people searching for exactly what you offer, which makes it powerful but only as good as your economics. It works when the value of a customer clearly exceeds the cost per click.
For example
A legal-tech startup bids on 'company registration online' in Google Ads, so it appears the moment someone searches with clear intent.
Go deeper
Related terms
Also in Starting Up
See how founders actually handle this on Growing and marketing, part of the Starting Up hub.
eChai Partner Brands
