What should we call PPC/Paid Search/SEM?
Call it a personal hangup, but I think the world would be a better place if we all used the same term to describe what we do.
Should we call “it” Paid Search? That doesn’t work for me, since it ignores the importance of Content Network advertising – whose success depends on entirely different best practices than one should apply for Search Advertising. (See why by downloading your free copy of my book Customers Now.)
Should we call it SEM? Call me pedantic, but the meaning of the word “marketing” is a superset of “advertising.” So SEM could be used to describe a wide range of activities, as Wikipedia agrees.
I’d like to lobby for the widespread acceptance of the term “Pay-per-click Advertising” – with the alternatives “PPC Advertising” and “PPC” for short. Wikipedia seems to favor this definition as well.
Semantic purists would point out that “PPC” is still a bit inaccurate, since an advertiser on the AdWords Content Network can choose to pay on a cost-per-thousand (CPM) basis. But IMHO “PPC Advertising” is the term that best fits.
What do you think? I’ve set up a quick poll here – weigh in to choose one of the alternatives I’ve listed, or post a comment here if I’ve missed THE perfect choice!
Update: the winner, with 68% of the 76 votes is… Pay-per-click Advertising! Okay, I admit that I may have influnced the outcome with this blog post. I’ll act penitent by paying for the next round, gents and lady.
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February 4th, 2010 at 12:41 pm
Not sure I follow why you don’t think SEM works. Perhaps you could explain more?
I also never knew Wikipedia had such strong bias on this issue
February 4th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
I have been going with variations of “PPC.” I think this term specifically speaks to our industry and is more viable. Using “paid search” is OK, but I have dealt with people who thought this meant buying a sponsored link on a site or submitting to the Yahoo! Directory. PPC is the way to go.
February 4th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
David – you hit upon one of my big pet peeves.
I really don’t like the name SEM for paid search. Once upon a time SEM meant both PPC & SEO (plus local, video, whatever you want to call any info that shows up on a search result page).
Then suddenly, SEM meant paid search only – that’s annoying. What is someone called who just wants their site on a search result regardless of the method?
Paid search not only means you are ignoring the content network, doesn’t it also mean you do search feeds that shows up in search results (such as the old Yahoo paid inclusion)? Few people specialize in both shopping feeds and PPC.
I’ll vote for PPC. PPC consists of paid search and content advertising. SEM means you do both. And please just call me an internet marketer as I do email, banners, domaining, SEO, PPC, and more.
February 4th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
I think it may have been Danny, years ago, who coined the term paid search, but it never seemed to catch on outside the industry. At this point with the Content Network becoming a bigger part of what we do, I agree that it makes more sense to call it something else.
To me, Search Engine Marketing always applied as the umbrella term for SEO and PPC as it encompasses both, whereas Pay-Per-Click Advertising is just that.
God knows there are enough confusing acronyms in marketing without adding more, so I’m all for calling it exactly what it is.
Cheers, Mary
February 4th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
I call it performance marketing.
Search is diminutive. Social media and display ads are usually part of the mix.
Pay-per-click doesn’t always apply. CPM and CPA deals can be very good as well.
The bottom line is we’re simply performing measurable and accountable marketing.
February 4th, 2010 at 3:05 pm
I probably shouldn’t mention this, but the academic community still refers to this as “sponsored search.”
But I like PPC.
February 4th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
I’m behind you 110% on Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising. This is the easiest way I’ve found to describe the field even if people sometimes think you just said “paper clip”.
February 4th, 2010 at 4:22 pm
Hello sir,
I believe I have already made my position abundantly clear as mud on this matter:
http://www.traffick.com/2009/11/ppc-has-always-been-wrong-term.asp
February 5th, 2010 at 5:18 am
I voted PPC Advertising. It should be PPC Advertising because the name explains it all. It’s straight-to-the-point or specific enough to know what it is really referring to.
February 8th, 2010 at 9:41 am
PPC or paid Search.
I get ticks everytime I hear the work SEM as a referrer to PPC.
Search Engine Marketing/SEM is “Marketing in Search Engines” and can be videos, images, SEO and SEM.
I vote for PPC
February 9th, 2010 at 7:35 pm
You’re the god of PPC Dave, so it hurts me to correct you. Advertising is part of Marketing, not vice versa. Gotta go with PPC and SEM for everything together (SEO, PPC, etc.) Love PPC Rockstars.
February 9th, 2010 at 7:38 pm
Thanks, Greg – and I agree with you on all counts!