Stand out when it matters most with Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is one of the most intent-driven advertising channels, offering a direct connection to consumers actively searching for answers, products, or services. With Google processing 3.8 million search queries every minute worldwide and holding 94% of the search engine market share in Australia (followed by Bing at 4.5%), the potential reach is great. Coupled with the fact that nearly 45.5% of users make a purchase or contact a business after conducting a search, SEM is an essential component in many marketing strategies as a strong conversion driver.

Our SEM process starts by understanding your business objectives and translating them into clear media goals. We then audit your existing media activity, including organic and paid search, uncovering performance gaps. Next, we conduct in-depth competitor analysis to identify keyword and ad copy opportunities. From there, we build and launch your campaigns, using proprietary and AI-powered tools for real-time monitoring and smart bidding, continuously refining performance to maximise ROI.

Choosing the right SEM campaign depends on your goals, budget, and audience. If you’re cost-conscious and want precision, Search Ads on Google or Bing offer highly targeted reach and greater control, ideal for capturing high-intent users. These campaigns perform even better when complemented by visual formats like paid social and display. For broader reach and full-funnel impact, Google’s Performance Max (Pmax) uses AI to optimise across all of Google’s channels, but works best with a healthy budget and a variety of creative assets.

If you’re an e-commerce brand, Shopping campaigns should be a priority, connecting your product feed to high-intent searchers and typically delivering stronger ROI than other SEM types. We offer tailored solutions across: Search Ads, Performance Max, and Google Shopping – driven by real-time data, automation, and continuous optimisation.

Search Ad Campaigns are text-based ads triggered by keyword searches on Google, targeting users with high intent. Limited to Google Search and its Audience Network, they offer strong control over targeting, placements, and bidding. Now enhanced with Google’s Gemini-powered AI overview, these campaigns deliver smarter, more contextually relevant results – ideal for businesses seeking a focused, performance-driven approach within a tightly managed budget.

Bing Ads appear across Bing, Yahoo, and AOL, offering text-based ads similar to Google Search. While Bing’s market share is smaller, it reaches a distinct audience – typically older, more educated, and with higher household incomes. With less competition and lower cost-per-click, Bing can be a smart, cost-effective addition to campaigns targeting niche or underserved demographics.

For a broader reach, Performance Max (Pmax) Campaigns leverage Google’s advanced automation and AI capabilities. Pmax ads extend across multiple platforms within the Google ecosystem, including Search, Maps, Gmail, YouTube, and the Display Network. Unlike traditional campaigns, Pmax optimises placements and ad combinations over time, using both the advertiser’s input and the campaign’s data signals. This format supports text, images, and video assets, making it a versatile option for advertisers looking to maximise their reach and performance.

If you sell physical products online, Google Shopping Campaigns provide an excellent opportunity to showcase your range. These campaigns display product details such as images, prices, and brand names at the top of search results or within the Shopping tab. To run these campaigns, businesses need to set up a Google Merchant Center account and integrate it with a product feed, typically sourced from their eCommerce platform. This setup ensures real-time updates for inventory, pricing, and availability. Google uses product data to determine how and where ads appear, ensuring your products are shown to users actively searching for similar items.

If your product is an app, leveraging specialised app install campaigns can significantly enhance its visibility and drive downloads. Both Google and Apple offer distinct approaches tailored to their ecosystems.

Previously known as Universal App Campaigns (UAC), Google App Campaigns enable marketers to promote mobile apps across the Google ecosystem—not just the Google Play Store. These campaigns require assets such as text, videos, and HTML5 creatives, which Google automatically tests and combines to optimise for the best-performing ad variations. Goals can range from app installs to specific in-app conversion events.

Carefully crafted text ads are particularly important, as they guide Google’s targeting and placement strategy, delivering ads across platforms like Google Search, Google Play, YouTube, and the Google Display Network.

Apple Search Ads focus exclusively on the App Store, helping your app stand out in search results. These ads appear at the top of relevant keyword searches, allowing you to target specific audiences based on keywords, demographics, locations, and devices. This precision ensures your app reaches users most likely to download it.

Both Google App Campaigns and Apple Search Ads complement organic app store optimisation efforts.