COURSE OVERVIEW
Search Marketing is the overall method of driving traffic to a company’s website through the use of search engines, including both organic search engine optimization and paid search strategies. SMstudy® certified Search Marketing Professionals effectively manage the company’s rankings in paid and organic listings on search engine result pages, achieve the marketing objectives and monitor the key metrics.
Successful candidates will be awarded the SMstudy® Certified Search Marketing Professional certification by SMstudy® after passing the exam.
Examination Format
- Multiple choice
- 80 questions
- No negative marks for incorrect answers
- 90-minute duration
- Proctored online exam
Course Content
Search Engine Marketing Overview
- Understanding Google search
- Rule based personalization of marketing at internet scale
- Overview of Google Adwords, Microsoft AdCenter and Yahoo Search Marketing
Pay per click overview
- PPC Definition & how it function
- Important Terms – Quality Score, Conversion Rate etc.
- Quality Score Overview Understanding
Strategizing PPC campaigns
- Setting objectives, goals & expectations
- Actionable metrics for performance measurements
- Formulating account structure
- Effective segmentation of keywords
- Usage of multiple match types
- Non overlapping Ad Groups
Market Analysis
- Understanding industry key drivers
- Competitive Analysis
- Organizational positioning
- Targeting
Ad writing Techniques
- Compelling ads that increase click through rates (CTR) lower costs
- Understanding, Analyzing & Improving – Relevance & Quality score
- Improve conversion rates Targeted ads & relevant landing pages
- Ad Preview tool
- Best Practices like using features such as reviews, +1 button etc
Campaign Management
- Overview of the tools
- Understanding advance functionality
Bid Management Plan
- Understand bidding strategy
- Manual vs. Automated bid management
- Different bid management features CPA bidding, position preference etc
Effective landing pages
- Importance of UI/UX design
- Call to Action
Performance Tracking
- Set campaign objectives & goals
- Define Performance metrics
- Monitor PPC activity with Google Analytics
Decipher User Psychology
- Understand & connect with the user
- Benefit from search behavior of prospective customer
Reporting & Analysis
- Integrate PPC account with Google Analytics
- Understanding reports and define the future plan of action
Testing
- Multivariate Testing
- A/B split Testing
SEM Management (Other Opportunities)
- Remarketing
- Mobile Advertising
- Display & Video Formats
- Optimize the display network campaigns
- Track & measure view through conversions
Affiliate Marketing
- Advertiser
- Publisher
- Consumer
Mobile Marketing
- Introduction
- Mobile Advertising
- Understanding the market
Audience Profile
This certification is appropriate for anyone interested in becoming a Search Marketing Professional.
Prerequisites
There is no formal prerequisite for this certification. However, it is mandatory to complete the SMstudy® Certified Digital Marketing Professional Certification and study all processes from chapter 7 in the SMstudy® Guide – Digital Marketing book before applying for the SMstudy® Certified Search Marketing Professional exam. All required resources are provided as part of the online certification course.